Moldova and France will sign today 3 important agreements for the development of trade, economic and investment cooperation.
This was stated at a briefing in Chisinau by the Presidents of Moldova and France, Maia Sandu and Emmanuel Macron. As noted, in particular, the parties will sign a new intergovernmental Convention on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion on income. This document is expected by Moldovan and French businessmen and will allow attracting more French investments in Moldova. In addition, representatives of the governments of Moldova and France will sign an agreement on the activities of the French Development Agency, Proparco and Expertise France in Moldova, which will officially launch the development cooperation between the two countries, initiated last year. The third document will be a loan agreement for 15 million euros from the French Development Agency to support the budget of our country. Maia Sandu recalled that the French Development Agency had already announced its intention to finance projects in Moldova in the field of renewable energy, railways, irrigation, water supply and sanitation. In particular, with the support of the agency, the Chisinau-Ungheni railway section will be rehabilitated and modernized, which opens up prospects for connecting the Moldovan railway network to the European network. The President of Moldova also noted that Proparco, a partner of the French Development Agency, will provide preferential loans to small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova in rural areas and the agricultural sector. The loan program will support the creation of about 3,600 new jobs over 5 years. She also expressed her hope for cooperation between the National Forestry Office of France and the Moldsilva Agency to support the reforestation program. Maia Sandu noted that France is an important economic partner of Moldova, and 220 companies with French capital operate in our country, including large, well-known companies from the telecommunications, information technology, agri-food and industrial sectors. Maia Sandu stated that she supports the initiatives of French companies to invest in renewable energy sources in Moldova, and also noted the interest in signing the Social Security Agreement. The President of Moldova noted the very good cooperation of our country in all areas with the European Union, which is the main partner of the Republic of Moldova in the field of economy and development, recalling that the Moldovan economy is increasingly interconnected with the European one, and 2/3 of Moldovan exports go to the European Union. Maia Sandu expressed gratitude to the European Commission and Member States for their decision to facilitate access to the European market for Moldovan fruits and other products that have lost their markets in the East due to the war. She also stated that Moldova is a European country with people who share European values, a country that will undoubtedly have a European future. "For us, joining the European Union is a strategic option to remain part of the free world, especially in the current security context," the President of the Republic of Moldova said, expressing her hope that Moldova's application for joining the European Union, filed on March 3, will be supported by the EU countries at the summit in Brussels June 23-24. “We count on France's continued support for the status of Moldova's candidate country. In the difficult situation we are, this important step will help us continue the reforms we have begun and strengthen our democracy. We know that Moldova's European integration will be a long and complicated process that will require constant efforts. I want to be clear: we are not looking for short cuts in this process. We are ready to do our homework - and we want to be appreciated for our merits, for the result of our work. In this context, we welcome the initiative of Emmanuel Macron towards the European Political Community, which we support and of which we want to be a part. This is not an alternative to our European path, but an additional initiative that will help us in the European integration process,” Maia Sandu said. She stressed that Moldova wants to strengthen its partnership with the European Union in the field of politics and security, and contribute to the solution of European problems. "We do not want to be just a consumer of goods - we want to be a state that contributes to a stronger, more integrated and more influential Europe on a global scale. And we continue to demonstrate this, including through the contribution of our government and society to overcoming the crisis refugees and the consequences of the war in Ukraine," the head of the Moldovan state said. She highly appreciated the decision of Emmanuel Macron to visit Moldova, noting that this is the first visit to the Republic of Moldova by the President of France over the past 24 years. Maia Sandu stressed that relations between the two countries over the past 1.5 years have become much more dynamic.// 15.06.2022 — InfoMarket
