Moldova is for Russia an 'equal and respected partner'

For the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova is an equal and respected partner, stated Russian Duma Speaker during a meeting with Moldova's Prime Minister Vlad Filat in Moscow, the Moldovan governmental press service reported. At the meeting meeting, which centered on the advancement of the Moldo-Russian relationship as well as on the Transnistrian settlement, Sergei Naryshkin said that Moldova is a respected partner and this potential could be extended in the area of CIS cooperation as well. In this context, the Speaker of the Russian Duma welcomed the approval by the Moldovan Government of the Agreement on Free Trade within the CIS, expressing his hope that it will soon be ratified by the Moldovan Parliament. The Russian official welcomed the way the Moldo-Russian relationship is developing, highlighting at the same time the need to step up the activity of the intergovernmental Commission on Social-Economic Cooperation so as to exploit the full potential of the bilateral relations in all areas of cooperation. Vlad Filat also expressed his satisfaction with how the Moldo-Russian relationship has developed, noting their pragmatic character. Vlad Filat remarked that the two countries are at the stage of implementing the understandings reached earlier, including those set out in the Friendship and Cooperation Agreement signed 10 years ago. Further, the Moldovan Prime Minister pleaded for intensifying the Moldo-Russian dialogue and extending cooperation in various areas. Vlad Filat remarked that the economic relations between the two countries have seen an upward trend, which is partly due to the removal of economic barriers between Moldova and Russia. In this context, Filat expressed Moldova's interest in attracting further investments into its economy. A separate subject on the meeting agenda was the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. The Moldovan Prime Minister stated that concrete progress has been achieved lately, both within the 5+2 negotiations and in the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol, with respect to every-day issues faced by people on both sides of the Nistru Vlat Filat is making an official visit to Moscow on September 10-12 during which he will meet President Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev and other high-ranking officials.