MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Moldova violated the obligations under the Moscow Memorandum by signing the Association Agreement with the EU, President of Transdniestria Yevgeny Shevchuk said on Thursday.

“Under the Memorandum signed at the high level with the OSCE presence, Moldova was to take a decision in coordination with Transdniestria,” he said.

The Association Agreement does not meet the interests of Transdniestrian manufacturers and the region’s economy as a whole, Shevchuk said.

“We seek to integrate into the Customs Union [Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan]. We’re trying to build relations in this direction although, of course, we’re ready to cooperate with all countries and markets,” he said.

Moldova and the EU signed the Association Agreement on June 27, 2014.

Transdniestria seeks to expand export to Russia

Yevgeny Shevchuk said Transdniestria seeks to increase and expand exports to Russia.

“At present, Russia accounts for 16% of Transdniestria’s export. Within the inter-departmental contacts the parties reached agreements to increase supplies. Their volume increased by 24% in the first eight months of the year,” Shevchuk said.

“We hope to return our high-quality supplies to the Russian market. But we need additional investments regarding the change of commodity groups that would be in demand in Russia,” he said.

In 2006 Moldova changed the regime for exporting Transdniestrian goods to redirect trade flow. Thus, trade with Russia and other CIS countries tightened and the Transdniestrian economy incurred serious losses that amount to $480 million in the last years, Shevchuk said.

“Trade has shrunk and budget expenditures have been reduced due to the crisis in Ukraine,” he said.