Opinions & Interviews

BISHKEK, 14 April (BelTA) - Belarus and Moldova will be able to make progress in mutual relations despite difficulties, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon in Bishkek on 14 April, BelTA has learned.

“Perhaps, we needed to meet long time ago and talk over the steps to strengthen relations between Belarus and Moldova. I will be frank; we are doing our best to keep the ties with your wonderful country. You are a person of a new formation but with absolutely the same views and policy Belarus adheres to. I believe that despite the problems, we will be able to advance our relations. We follow a principle: if we can do something for our friends, close people, we are doing it. If there is readiness to meet each other halfway (and the economy is most likely to push us to it), we will be able to do a lot for both Moldova and Belarus,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The head of state noted that he has been to Moldova many times and knows the country very well. “You have had different governments, different presidents, and we did our best to maintain relations. Despite all the difficulties (we had transit, logistics, other issues), we were moving forward. I cannot say we have been active enough in the economic and trade sector in the recent years. We, however, have managed to keep the positive momentum during these difficult years,” the Belarusian leader said.

The President added that Belarus has always supported Moldova when the country needed help. “We are not aliens to each other. We always did what we could,” he said.

Alexander Lukashenko and Igor Dodon are expected to take part in a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 14 April. One of the issues on the agenda of the meeting is the discussion of the agreement to grant Moldova with an observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

In 2016 the Belarusian-Moldovan trade totaled $227.1 million. Moldova is home to several joint assembly plants, including those producing Belkommunmash trolleybuses, horticultural tractors Belarus-921 of the Smorgon aggregate plant and small tractors of the Bobruisk Plant of Tractor Parts and Units. In 2016 the two states launched a joint project to produce Belarusian wireless trolleybuses in Chisinau. Another joint project to bottle Zolotoi Aist cognac and Cricova wines at the Minsk Plant of Sparking Wines was launched last year as well.