We should not be very enthusiastic after CIS summit – experts

The experts of the Independent Analytic Centre “Expert-Grup” consider that “we should not be very enthusiastic” after the CIS summit from Minsk, which “apparently lifted the Russian ban on the exports of alcoholic products coming from Moldova and settled better perspectives in what concerns the stability of energy relations”. According to the experts, in light of the fact that the roots of the ban decision are to a greater extent political, it can be understood why such issues are possible to be solved only by heads of state, and not by the Moldovan prime-minister, the Russian minister of education, or by the economy ministers. The information regarding the lift of the embargo came several days before the declaration of the Russian chief sanitary doctor, Ghenadi Oniscenko, according to which the prospects of resuming exports were more than uncertain. A day before, the deputy prime-minister Zinaida Grecianii was also stating that the progress related to the lift of trade bans are modest and the activity in this respect is to be carried out by experts. As concerns the feasibility of the plan on the lift of export bans, and its political costs, the experts say the solution of “unique windows” is temporary and quite sophisticated from the logistic point of view, but it will be followed by a total unblock of exports for sure in case progress in other fields will be ascertained. Among the necessary steps, “Expert-Grup”, mentions signing the protocol on the accession of Russia to WTO. By signing this protocol, USA took down the last major obstacle in this process, but also made Moscow impatient as concerns reaching an agreement with Moldova (and Georgia), the experts say. According to the cited source, the political character of the trade relations between Russia and Moldova has not disappeared. Only by making progress in political relations, the economic issues can be settled. Obviously this fact refers to Transnistria as well. The statements tackling the lift of the ban were also referring to the resumption of talks about the dispute and drawing nearer the standpoints of the two countries, the experts of the Independent Analytic Centre “Expert-Grup” state.