{"id":443294,"date":"2017-01-18T10:45:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-18T10:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=443294"},"modified":"2017-01-18T10:46:34","modified_gmt":"2017-01-18T10:46:34","slug":"highlights-joint-press-conference-moldova-president-igor-dodon-russia-president-vladimir-putin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/highlights-joint-press-conference-moldova-president-igor-dodon-russia-president-vladimir-putin\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights of joint press conference of Moldova President Igor Dodon and Russia President Vladimir Putin"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

On January 17th, the Moldovan President Igor Dodon had a meeting<\/a> with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. The meeting between two Presidents of Moldova and Russia is the first in the last 9 years. <\/span><\/p>\n

The meeting was followed by a joint press conference full of rather controversial than surprising statements, especially from the behalf of Dodon. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the highlights of the press conference:<\/span><\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Moldova’s status:\u00a0<\/strong>We<\/span><\/em> support the sovereignty, the territorial integrity of Moldova, its non-block status and neutrality.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On trade:\u00a0<\/strong>Unfortunately<\/em>,<\/span> bilateral trade volume decreased more than two times. It was mainly explained by objective factors such as the decrease of price for raw products, but we also must admit that the mutually convenient relations with Russia were restrained in order to accelerate the rapprochement to the European Union. As a result, the Moldovan products lost their traditional Russian markets and did not obtain anything on the new ones. To the opposite, the trade of Moldova with the EU states decreased.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Even after the checks, I am more than sure that the number of enterprises from Moldova exporting to Russia will soon increase.<\/em><\/p>\n

We understand that solving the trade and economic cooperation issues would be hard while having trade agreements with other subjects, but we would like to move towards a solution.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Moldova developing other relations:\u00a0<\/strong>By the way, we agreed with President Dodon that we are not against and we support that Moldova develops its relations with other partners, like those in Europe. We just want that cooperation to have nothing against what we have and instead, to work for the benefits of our countries\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On gas:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Russia<\/span><\/em> is constantly supplying Moldova with oil and gas. 100% of natural gas is provided by Russia. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On the Transnistrian conflict settlement:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Some<\/span><\/em> positive events emerged in 2016 would facilitate the confidence building between the countries in the conflict. There is need to find a mutually legal settlement basing on the principles of international law. Russia will continue to be a intermediary and guarantee of fulfilling\u00a0the agreements made between the countries.<\/i><\/p>\n

We welcome the courage of President Dodon to make his visit to Transnistria, to express his willing to solve the conflict, at the same time preserving the integrity of the country, showing respect to the people living in Transnistria. <\/i><\/p>\n

I regret that in 2003 the leadership of Moldova rejected the Kozak plan, which other parties were ready to agree on. I really believe that we could come back to that plan, in the interest of all people living there. If that compromise is found between Moldova and Transnistria, we would be going towards an arrangement, an agreement.<\/i><\/p>\n

On the CIS:\u00a0<\/strong>Russia<\/em>, as head representative of the Commonwealth of Independent States, welcomes the attitude of the President of Moldova towards Moldovan participation in the structures of the Commonwealth.<\/i><\/p>\n

On the Eurasian Economic Union:\u00a0<\/strong>I know that President Dodon talked to head of the College of the Eurasian Economic Union, Mr. Sarkisyan, and I hope we can find some agreements even in this domain, regarding some concerns.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On the Association Agreement with the EU:\u00a0<\/strong>We<\/span><\/em> are ready to collaborate with both the President and Government, I said that. A lot will depend on the relation of Moldova with the European Union, on the Association Agreement. There are certain risks for us, similar to those emerged after the signing of this kind of Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. We always motivated our points to our CIS and European partners in this regard. We support a dialogue in a trilateral format.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On Moldova as prisoner of West-East relations:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>From<\/span><\/em> the behalf of Moldova we have no threats or risks in the directions we are going.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

We just need to solve problems with a large number of partners, so it does not regard Moldova. When we solve some things with Moldova, we need to solve problems with other partners. In this regard, Moldova is the prisoner of our relations with other countries.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Igor Dodon<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the relations with Russia:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>This<\/span><\/em> is a historical day for Moldo-Russian relations. Unfortunately, the last 7 years were not the best period for our relations that date back to hundred years ago. The strategic partnership with Russia disappeared from the fundamental Government programs. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Until now, leaders of Moldova were either not coming (to Russia), either they were going in official visits in Brussels.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I<\/em> must tell to the Russian citizens that Moldovans are, despite the declarations of some politicians, not against the Russian Federation and we are oriented towards a strategic partnership with Russia. Starting from today, we will turn a new page in our relations.<\/i><\/p>\n

On the values he promotes in cooperation with Russia:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Last year, a majority of citizens gave their vote to the values that the President of Moldova would promote: preserving the statehood, neutrality of the Republic Moldova, reintegration of the country, settlement of Transnistrian conflict, upholding the Orthodox values. These values and principles cannot be defended without the strategic partnership with Russia.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On Moldovan migrants in Russia:\u00a0<\/strong>Officially<\/em>,<\/span> around 500 000 Moldovan citizens work in Russia. Some tens of thousands are in Moldova and cannot enter Russia because of different violations.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On the Transnistrian conflict settlement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Transnistria is part of the Republic of Moldova. (…) <\/i><\/p>\n

I hope that with the help of our strategic partners and the Russian Federation, we will move towards solving the problems which people on both banks of Nistru river face. We have learned the lessons of the past concerning the solving of the Transnistrian conflict. I strongly believe that we will not repeat the same mistakes again.<\/i><\/p>\n

On the Association Agreement with the European Union:<\/strong><\/p>\n

By the way, I was always against the signing of this Agreement. This document has brought nothing to the Republic of Moldova. We lost the Russian market. However strange, our exports to the European Union also decreased, so did not get anything from this agreement. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t exclude that, after the next Parliamentary elections when I hope that PSRM will obtain a Parliamentary majority, this Agreement will be cancelled.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I will talk to colleagues in Brussels. I will bring numbers. Two years have passed, but there are no results in the economy or elsewhere, so we need to decide what to do next.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

On the Eurasian Economic Union:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The (upcoming) memorandum with the Euroasian Economic Union does not contradict with agreements signed other partners, including the European Union. (…)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I also asked Mr. Vladimir Putin to examine the possibility for the Republic of Moldova to obtain the observer position in the Economic Position in the Euroasian Union.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On contradiction between Eurasian and European Union:<\/strong><\/p>\n

When talking about fully opening the market, we need to consider the agreements Moldova signed with other participants.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n