The 17th meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation between Moldova and Belarus will take place in Chisinau on October 3. Prime Minister Pavel Filip welcomed this event in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Andrei Kobyakov, who came to Moldova on an official visit, IPN reports.

Pavel Filip said this is a good platform for dialogue for identifying optimal solutions to joint problems and for adopting mutually advantageous decisions. He noted the constructive and open dialogue between Moldova and Belarus, expressing his conviction that there is great potential for developing the bilateral relations.

For his part, Andrei Kobyakov said the bilateral visits between heads of state reached a new qualitative level of cooperation and trust between Belarus and Moldova. “The identification of points for enhancing economic cooperation is the main line for todays’ discussion,” stated the official. He added that the bilateral trade during the first seven months of this year rose by 10% compared with the corresponding period last year, to about US$150 million.

The possibilities of founding joint companies and encouraging mutually advantageous investments in different areas will be devoted special attention. The sides launched proposals of cooperation in such areas as agriculture and food, pharmacology and seed production and wine industry.

The Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov is paying an official, two-day visit to Moldova. On the occasion of his visit, a Moldova-Belarus Economic Forum and the meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation between Moldova and Belarus will be held in Chisinau on October 3. A number of bilateral agreements will be signed. Afterward, Pavel Filip and Andrei Kobyakov will give a joint news conference.