Russia has never extended an official invitation for Moldova to become a member of the Customs Union, Prime Minister of Moldova Mr Vladimir Filat told the Moldovan television, BelTA has learned.

He remarked that Moldova’s accession to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan had never been mentioned at this year’s meetings with Prime Minister of Russia Mr Dmitry Medvedev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Sochi as part of the official visit to the Russian Federation. “We haven’t talked about it,” said Vladimir Filat.

After talks with Vladimir Filat in September 2012 Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev told a press conference that Russia is interested in expanding the Customs Union made up by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan but believes that Moldova should choose this way on its own. Dmitry Medvedev underlined that participation in any integration association should be a willful choice instead of the choice imposed from the outside. According to the Russian Premier, it is fully true as far as the Customs Union and the free trade agreements for the CIS and the European Union are concerned. Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had never enforced its approaches upon potential partners. “We are naturally interested in getting the Customs Union and the economic union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan afterwards to grow larger and stronger,” he said. The Russian head of government added that it should happen the natural way.

In turn, Vladimir Filat remarked that Moldova is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States and intends to advance cooperation in this area. Upon returning to Chisinau he made statements indicating that Moldova did not intend to accede to the Customs Union because the country was in active negotiations to get associated with the European Union, negotiations on setting up a comprehensive free trade zone. The republic had gone a long way and the government was not intent on changing the European vector of the country's development.


 

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