Prime Minister Pavel Filip, in the meeting of CIS Prime Ministers held in Bishkek, pleaded for the complete implementation of the Free Trade Agreement within the Commonwealth of Independent States and for the structural optimization of this organization. On the sidelines of this event, the Premier had a meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medevdev, IPN reports.

According to the Government’s press service, Pavel Filip said that Moldova’s cooperation priorities within the CIS include the development of the commercial and economic relations and ensuring of the free movement of persons. Moldova is interested in strengthening and improving cooperation with the CIS member states through new mechanisms that would meet the latest trends on the international markets.

Referring to the CIS Free Trade Agreement, the Premier said that its provisions are not respected because the member states continue to encounter numerous barriers in trade. “In order to develop cooperation within the CIS, especially in the economic sector, the Free Trade Agreement should be fully implemented. We also plead for the qualitative transformation of the CIS so as to optimize its bodies,” he stated.

In a separate meeting, Pavel Filip discussed the necessity of continuing the political dialogue and of restoring the economic relations between Moldova and Russia with Dmitry Medevdev. The officials stressed the necessity of setting a common plan of action for identifying long-term solutions to the problems existing in the bilateral cooperation.

The Moldovan Premier referred to the visit that the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitri Rogozin is to pay to Chisinau on July 5-6. A roadmap for eliminating the restrictions on the export of Moldovan products to Russia is to be agreed within this. In this regard, the Moldovan competent authorities are to closer cooperate with the Russian agencies so as to ensure the quality standards are met.
 
For his part, Dmitry Medvedev expressed the Russian side’s readiness to reestablish the relations between the two states, including by the platform of the intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation. “I want to wish you success in this not at all easy economic period for the Republic of Moldova. The Russian Federation wants you to succeed and I’m ready to discuss the current situation in our relations and the prospects,” said the Russian Premier.

The next meeting of CIS Prime Ministers will take place in Minsk, Belarus, on October 28, 2016.