GORKI (Moscow Region), July 7 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow will need to analyze all the possible risks of maintaining free trade with Moldova after it ratified its EU Association Agreement, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
“We must analyze all possible risks for our trade and economic relations associated with … Moldova’s decision to create the corresponding free-trade zone,” and protect the Russian market, the prime minister said during a meeting with his deputies.
Medvedev also said there are legal mechanisms for this within the Customs Union and the World Trade Organization.
“Naturally, these issues will need to be decided through discussion with our partners in the Customs Union, but taking into account the time factor and the ratification of this document by the Moldovan parliament and the future ratification of it by the European Union's parliament, we need to make a decision very soon,” Medvedev said.
By ratifying the EU Association Agreement, Moldova has changed the legal basis of mutual relations with Russia and the Customs Union, Medvedev added.
“Since [Moldova] ratified [the agreement], they need to understand that they are creating a different legal base in mutual relations with the Customs Union and the Russian Federation,” the prime minister said.
Medvedev added that Moscow would also consider similar measures for Kiev and Tbilisi, which are also signing their respective EU association agreements, once ratified by their parliaments.
“Naturally, if the same path of developments is followed both in Ukraine and in Georgia, then a package of similar measures [like Moldova] will be taken, after considering the volume of trade and economic relations and the consequences for the Russian market," Medvedev said.
A week ago, the Moldovan parliament ratified the country’s European Association Agreement. Fifty-nine members voted in favor. As a sign of protest against the association agreement, the Party of Communists marched out of the parliament session.
On June 27, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the European Union signed association agreements that stipulate the creation of free-trade zones with the EU during a summit in Brussels.
Moldova's aspirations of closer ties with the European Union are met with mixed feelings within the country. According to surveys, half of the population opposes European integration due to expectations of negative economic consequences from the deal.
Moldova also has a free-trade agreement with Russia in the CIS framework. Russia has repeatedly expressed deep concern over the country's upcoming signing of the agreement with the EU, saying it would be forced to protect its market once it faces an uncontrolled flow of duty-free goods from the EU.
(Recasts to read “Customs Union” in paras 3, 6)
