President of Pridnestrovie Yevgeny Shevchuk met with a delegation of the European Union led by Head of Unit “Trade aspects of European neighbourhood policy. Trade relations with countries of the CIS and Balkans” Luc Devigne. The meeting was also attended from the European side by Head of EU Delegation in Moldova Pirkka Tapiola, and from the Pridnestrovian side by Acting Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev.
The meeting focused on discussing the parameters of trade cooperation between Pridnestrovie and the European Union in the context of the Pridnestrovian side’s interest in maintaining the preferential access of Pridnestrovian goods to the European market.
During the meeting, the President stressed the importance for the Pridnestrovian side to interact with economic partners of the Eurasian and European Union. “The difficult economic situation determines the need to create stable trading conditions for our economic agents,” - said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
The President noted that as a result of a region-wide economic instability in January-August 2015 the trade turnover of Pridnestrovie with the European Union decreased by 30%. The total share of exports to the EU decreased from 38 to 34%.
The President also drew attention to the fact that the Republic of Moldova and the European Union when deciding on the regime of mutual trade did not take into account the interests of the Pridnestrovian economy. Yevgeny Shevchuk emphasized the importance of finding solutions that would not include discriminatory trade regimes with the European Union for the Pridnestrovian enterprises. “New rules for trade with the EU must not contribute to the expansion of poverty in Pridnestrovie,” - said the President.
At the meeting the sides agreed to continue this month working consultations aimed at finding mutually acceptable mechanisms for trade between Pridnestrovie and the EU after 31 December 2015.
Source: president.gospmr.ru
