Is Moldova Turning to the Eurasian Economic Union?

• 03.26.2017, 21:29
•  Europe,  EEU,  World

kapital.kz

Moldovan President Igor Dodon initiated the process of obtaining observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union. As Dodon wrote on his Facebook page, he had already sent a letter to the President of the Eurasian Economic Commission. "Moldova will cooperate both with the West and the East, and this cooperation should be based just on national interests of our country," Dodon said, stressing that the country gives a great importance to cooperation with regional economic unions. It is expected that the issue of granting observer status to Moldova in the Eurasian Economic Union will be discussed during the meeting of heads of member states of the Eurasian Economic Union late in May.

It should be noted that the intention of deepening cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union was first announced by the President of Moldova in January, after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Dodon regularly stands against Moldova Association Agreement with the EU, noting that it has done no good to the country. Moreover, Moldova lost the Russian market, while the volume of exports to the EU fell due to high EU standards. "I do not exclude that after the next parliamentary elections in Moldova this document can be  canceled," Dodon said in Moscow.

It should be noted, that the Moldovan authorities during Dodon’s visit to Moscow made a request to sign a memorandum on cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, and according to the Moldovan media, the memorandum will be signed within the framework of the International Economic Forum to be held in Chisinau on April 3, and in which Chairman of Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tigran Sargsyan will also participate. Moldovan president stressed that the agreement does not contradict the country's other international commitments.

This initiative of the president of Moldova supports Moldovan expert community, noting that the only way to come out of the economic crisis may be return to the Russian market, and the deepening of cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union can have a positive influence on it. Moreover, surveys show that the majority of Moldovans shares this approach of authorities, and it is not excluded that in case of a referendum on joining the Eurasian Economic Union, it will have a positive outcome.