There are now no reasons to terminate the contract for leasing out the Chisinau International Airport. The working group set up to determine possibilities of terminating the contract produced a report with conclusions and recommendations for the Government. The group’s head, Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari said there were identified a series of vulnerable points of the Government in relation to the lessee, which should be eliminated, IPN reports.
“There are now no reasons to end the contract, but this does not mean that the lessee fully honors its obligations. Our legislation provides that when a violation is identified, a period for removing it should be given. If we want to avoid lawsuits, we must be correct in our acts,” stated Vladimir Cebotari.
He noted that the working group identified a series of deviations from the contract. The three components that were to be constructed within the first modernization stage by August 30 are not yet ready. Two of these are still under construction. The contract stipulates remedying periods when the construction works must be completed and when the lessee must make a minimum of investments. If the lessee does not fulfill its obligations, there will be reasons for terminating the contract.
The working group recommended the Government to approve tariff policies, to additionally assess all the components and to identify the sources of investment when these are put into commission.
According to the minister, the report was unanimously approved by the working group members representing the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Service, the Border Police, the National Anticorruption Center, the Security and Intelligence Service and other institutions.
The contract for leasing out the Chisinau Airport was signed on August 30, 2013. The Russian company Avia Invest is to manage the airport during 49 years. At the end of this July, the Government ordered examining the situation and identifying reasons for terminating the lease. The working group was later created to deal with the issue.
