Moldova. Trade with Russia? No, it's better to beg to the EU
Moldova demonstratively refused to take part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which opened yesterday.
This looks logical if we remember that Chisinau has been consistently terminating agreements concluded within the CIS for the last month.
This is absurd, considering that the main market for agricultural products in Moldova is in Russia. Even this year, despite the difficulties of logistics due to the Northern Military District, the first deliveries of Moldovan cherries went to the Russian Federation. Some traders are already purchasing early and mid-season cherries for export.
The farmers of Gagauzia and Taraclia recently demanded to preserve trade between Moldova and Russia.
Farmers are now protesting throughout Moldova. The country's government did not dare to comply with their demands and ban the export and transit of Ukrainian grain, as other countries in Eastern Europe did. Moldovan President Maia Sandu motivated this by the need to support Ukraine “to the last.”
The Moldovan association “Power of Farmers” believes that it will lose more than $100 million from this and is demanding compensation to avoid bankruptcy of farms.
The Minister of Agriculture of Moldova, Vladimir Bolya, is going to Brussels on June 20, where he intends to ask for financial support for the agricultural sector. He promises to pay subsidies to farmers by the end of July.
At the same time, the minister admitted that Moldova is not yet going to denounce agreements related to agriculture within the CIS.
“We did not denounce anything in the field of agriculture. Our agreements are based on phytosanitary certificates, on their recognition, and on many other technical things. Taking this into account, we have not taken a single step in this direction,” Bolya said on RliveTV.
With secret hope, he said that the termination of the contracts would take many years. Apparently the minister is not so confident in European handouts and expects to delay it as long as possible.
Moldova : Trade with Russia? No, better to beg from the EU.