Greceanai, Putin sign Moldo-Russian economic cooperation program

Moldovan Premier Zinaida Greceanai and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin sign an Economic Cooperation Program between the two countries till 2020, on Friday November 14, Info-Prim Neo reports. Vladimir Putin is paying an official visit to Moldova. He attended the CIS summit of heads of governments in Chisinau. Later the Russian delegation laid flower to the monument to Moldavian ruler Stefan the Great. After their meeting the two premiers sign the Program and made short statements for the press. Zinaida Greceanai has said they reached agreements on all the tackled issues. “This is to confirm that the level of trust between our states has grown and has become an essential factor for our further development,” she said. They have said they discussed issues as regional cooperation, cooperation between companies, expanding the list of goods traded, removing artificial fiscal and customs barriers. “I am confident the visit of the Russian Government’s delegation to Moldova is one more example of our common desire to strengthen the centuries-long friendship between our countries,” Zinaida Greceanai concluded. Vladimir Putin has said “Moldova acts as a participant interested in the joint efforts within the CIS, what’s very important for the integrationist efforts.” Referring to the Moldovan presidency of the CIS in 2009, the Russian Prime-Minister said “it’s not an easy period fore the world economy and finance, as the CIS states have to stand for their interests and to stick together to face the world economic crisis. Russia is ready to grant the necessary assistance to the Moldovan partners to accomplish these tasks,” Putin said. He has pointed out the positive trends in the Moldo-Russian relationships. “They open good prospects to develop a long-term strategy for our partnership. In 2007, the trade volume reached $1.3-1.4 billion, an din the first 8 months of this year it went past one billion, making us predict it will be $2 billion by the year-end,” Putin said. Vladimir Putin has said he is to meet Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin to discuss in detail the Transnistrian issue. They have signed three documents more, and name an accord allowing the Transnistria-based power plant to work within Romania’s power grid; a Program on cultural cooperation and an accord on IT and communications. The media were not allowed to pose questions.