32nd session of CIS Economic Council held in Moscow

Minister of Economy and Commerce, Igor Dodon, participates in the 32nd session of the Economic Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), taking place on Wednesday, 27 December, in Moscow. Within the frameworks of the Council discussions are to be held on a range of economic issues related to fields like energy, transportation, constructions and others. A series of common projects of the CIS member-states will be presented at the Council – on countering the import of counterfeit pharmaceutical products on the Commonwealth states’ market; establishing the concept of the coordinated tariff policy in the field of railroad transportation and others. As part of his visit to Moscow, Dodon will have a meeting with the minister of economic development and commerce of the Russian Federation Gherman Greff. During the meeting the parties are to discuss upon the signing of the protocol on Russian Federation’s accession to the WTO and the Protocol on levying indirect taxes in the destination country. Igor Dodon stated on Tuesday, December 26 that Moldova is willing to sign the protocol approving Russia’s membership in WTO till the end of the year. Within the frameworks of the last Moldovan-Russian joint session, the parties made the decision that till the end of 2006 they would ensure the signing of the mentioned two documents. However Moldovan authorities would prefer that at the moment when Moldova signs the protocol on Russia’s acceding to WTO, Russia would sign the Agreement regarding levying indirect taxes, Dodon added. At present, Moldova is the only country in the CIS space where, when exporting gas, the VAT is levied not in the budget of the importing country, but in the budget of the Russian Federation.