Five more categories of products will be added to the list of goods that will be exported to the Russian Federation duty free as of January 1, 2020. The given products include beef, sunflower seeds, sugar, ethyl alcohol and furniture, IPN reports.

According to a posting placed by President Igor Dodon on Facebook, such an agreement was reached by Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development Ion Perju, co-chairman of the Moldovan-Russian intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation, with the  commission’s co-chairman on behalf of Russia Dmitry Patrushev in a meeting in Moscow.

The export duties have been so far abolished for fresh vegetables, apples, plums and quinces, canned apricots, cherries and vegetables and wines.

Ion Perju said the list of fruit and vegetable exporters to Russia as of next year will be increased from 130 to over 350 Moldova companies.

He noted that 16,000 transportation authorizations for next year reached Moldova and the number of these could be raised if need be.

According to the minister, he requested officials of Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rosspotrebnadzor to additionally inspect 33 wine companies and four canning companies so that these could also export to Russia.

President Dodon said that during his visit to Moscow later this week, he will have a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak with whom he will continue the dialogue on the issues.