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Moldova’s president plans meetings with CIS leaders at EAEU summit

Igor Dodon has plans to meet with the states' leaders and the St. Petersburg city government

Moldovan President Igor Dodon EPA/STR

Moldovan President Igor Dodon

CHISINAU, December 5. /TASS/. Moldovan President Igor Dodon plans to hold meetings with the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning ahead of his departure to St. Petersburg.

"I am going to St. Petersburg on a short working visit, where I will take part in a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 6, as well as in an informal meeting of the CIS state leaders. I will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of other states on the sidelines of both forums. I will also meet with the St. Petersburg city government," the Moldovan state leader noted.

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He highlighted that the country "is taking part in the EAEU summit as an observer state for the first time, after the Republic of Moldova had become the first observer state in this economic structure at the May session in Sochi."

Dodon spoke in favor of galvanizing cooperation between Moldova and the EAEU, the members of which annually import food products and agricultural materials worth around $30 billion. The president who used to serve as deputy prime minister in charge of economy, noted that these products constitute Moldova’s principal exports. Today the republic sells these products worth about $1 billion and may increase the deliveries considerably with the help of the EAEU. Dodon believes that there is also a great potential for cooperation in the sphere of the energy industry, where the EAEU members enjoy preferential prices. He also marked other important areas, such as cooperation in labor migration, finance and other areas.

Chisinau signed a memorandum on cooperation and obtained an observer status in the EAEU this year based on the Moldovan president’s address. Dodon criticizes the trade-economic agreement signed by the Moldovan government with the EU, which, he said, was signed in a hurry and inflicted economic damage to the country’s interests. He supports well-balanced relations both with the West and the East.

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