Moldova hopes to complete agreement's negotiation until March

16:37 28.01.2013
Moldova

Negotiations on the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement between Moldova and the European Union could be completed in March, after one year of initiation.

«We hope that the negotiations on the agreement should be completed until March», Deputy Economics Minister, Moldova's chief-negotiator Octavian Calmic told a news conference on January 24.

The fifth round of negotiations on the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement between Moldova and the European Union was held in Chisinau on 22-23 January 2013. The participants in the event negotiated on the sides' bids related to the access to the services and goods market. «We are very close to reaching the long-expected compromises in the near future. There are premises and both sides' will to complete the negotiations by the next round of talks, due in Brussels in March», Calmic said.

«By that time, we will continue to work basing on videoconferences and other instruments that are available in order to make possible signing this agreement by late 2013», he added.

He noted that «there have been already completed the negotiations related to the juridical texts and agreed on the access to the services market». The groups of negotiators are very close «to find consensus on customs duties, access to market for industrial and agricultural goods». Highest sensitivity comes from the agricultural products, on which it was agreed both transition periods to Moldovan market and import tariff rates in Moldova and the European Union, given Moldova's needs.

Calmic noted that the sides negotiated on over 9,700 groups of goods, getting free access (customs duties free) to the community market. The tariff rates are to be applied for only 30 groups of goods, including fruits, vegetables and wines, taking into account Moldova's export potential, as well as the future opportunities of goods supply to the European market.

Adapted from Moldpres

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