Tiraspol, 7 December. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. As was informed earlier, the EU would extend its free trade regime for the Pridnestrovian exporters. The president discussed this issue with the MFA leadership at a working meeting today.
It should be recalled that owing to the EU association agreement concluded by Moldova, the autonomous trade preferences for Pridnestrovian exporters will expire on 1 January 2016. Based on the Ministry of Economic Development forecasts, the possible loss of EU markets might cost $30−50 million to the national budget.
In order to avoid negative consequences, the president charged the foreign ministry and a number of dedicated agencies to hold negotiations with EU representatives and work out a special trade formula for Pridnestrovian exporters and their EU contractors. As a result of almost three years of negotiations and eight rounds of talks, the sides have managed to elaborate a certain mechanism and agree basic parameters of a free trade regime for Pridnestrovian economic agents, the presidential press office reports.
«Over this period we have had to overcome sluggish approaches by our European partners, their attempts to pull Pridnestrovie into the legal and economic space of Moldova, their reluctance to admit the fact of the existence of an individual Pridnestrovian economy," said the deputy foreign minister, Dmitry Palamarchuk. «It is encouraging to note that during direct bilateral negotiations we managed to convince the EU representatives that Pridnestrovie requires an individual approach, and imposing on us the agreement signed by Moldova and the EU, regardless of our strategic interests and without consulting with us has no prospects.»
According to him, it was possible to agree upon the basic parameters of the new trade regime after several negotiation rounds. At present the corresponding decision is passing a final approval procedure in the EU institutions, but even now we can say that after 1 January 2016 Pridnestrovian enterprises will retain the EU's free trade preferences.
«No additional or special demands to meet certain regulations and standards or admit regulatory authorities will be put forward on Pridnestrovie's economic agents, as was reported by some unscrupulous journalists and experts. Our enterprises will conduct optimal economic activities with the EU," added Dmitry Palamarchuk.
«We are sure the Pridnestrovian economy will not sustain extra losses of $30−50 million. The resources we could have lost will be retained and allocated for the support of socially vulnerable categories of population," underscored President Shevchuk, adding that there were several scenarios for 1 January 2016.
«In case of a negative scenario the whole group of Pridnestrovian enterprises would stop production and could not supply their products to the EU market because of additional measures of tariff regulation. We have been preparing and accumulating certain resources that may be allocated for the payment of pensions and salaries on 1 January. The country is in economic straits. If the EU had not changed its approach for 2016, the situation would be much worse," said Yevgeny Shevchuk and thanked the Pridnestrovian diplomats and Ministry of Economic Development employees for the painstaking work in this field.
The president also told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue consultations to protect the interests of our economic agents which would secure steady operating conditions for the country’s economy and budget revenues.
