Moldova proposed Russia to cancel import duties on 5-6 of the most popular groups of goods to restore trade between the two countries, which has significantly decreased in 2014. This was stated Sunday by TASS, the President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon during the visit to the Omsk region.

Trade between the two countries has suffered after the government of Moldova in 2014 signed agreements on Association and a free trade zone with the EU, and Russia, fearing the re-export of European products, introduced the duties on Moldovan goods. In addition, due to the inconsistency of standards of safety of Russia has temporarily banned the import of fruit and vegetables from this country. However, in 2016, the Rosselkhoznadzor started to unlock the supply that they are under control of the Russian experts and only when there are contracts with importers in Russia.

"We need to remove the customs duty at least 5-6 groups of goods. I proposed to Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], we discussed this more than once. Following [my] official visit to the Russian Federation will be in October. I hope that before we meet with Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak, who is now responsible (special representative - approx. TASS) from the President of the Russian Federation on trade and economic relations with the Republic of Moldova. If we achieve the removal of customs duties on 5-6 of the groups to which we have most interest is vegetables, fruits, canned goods, wine products, at least for some period, export volumes [from Moldova to Russia] will grow several times", - said Igor Dodon.

According to him, Moldova is also trying to open up the Russian market for all Moldovan enterprises. "We [already] made that opened the Russian market for a number of companies. To ensure that we reached the level of exports (in 2013 - approx. TASS), we need to negotiate with the Russian side that lifted all restrictions on the export to list of companies that any Moldovan enterprise could supply their products to the Russian market", - said the President.

Dodon said that was against hasty signing of the Association agreement and creating free trade zone with the EU. "As we expected and warned, [after the signing], the volume of exports to the Russian Federation fell by over 1.5-2 years almost twice. After 2016 <...> we started to increase the volume but to the volume of 2013 we need at least 80-90 percent of increase volumes of deliveries", - said the head of the Republic of Moldova.