Moldova could sign a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the beginning of next year, Head of Parliament Andrian Candu said after a meeting with the IMF mission in Chisinau, IPN reports.

The official told the journalists that besides the cooperation between the IMF and Moldova, they also discussed policies, the contribution to supporting the budget, the legislative packages that are to be adopted, such as the agricultural package and the package designed to improve the situation in the financial-banking sector, and the possibility for the IMF to help assess the National Bank’s activity and ensure the Bank’s independence.

“It is a fact-finding visit that forms yet part of the mission for negotiating a new program with the IMF. When the mission is over, on October 6, more statements will be made in this regard. Judging by the previous discussions, we could have a new agreement with the IMF on January 1, 2016. One more mission will come to Moldova by this yearend,” said the Speaker.

According to Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet, the current IMF mission no longer has the mandate to negotiate a new agreement with Moldova after the National Bank governor Dorin Dragutanu tendered his resignation one day before its arrival.