05.04.2022
Representatives of several Associations of producers in the agri-food sector had a working meeting today with Nicu Popescu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the team of the ministry.
Discussions focused on the most pressing issues facing producers and processors, including the export of agri-food production and the need for dialogue between the MFAEI (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration) and employees of Moldovan embassies in countries with potential for Moldovan products.
Nicu Popescu was open to a constructive dialogue with the representatives of the producers in the agri-food industry and mentioned that, at the moment, the ministry is in a stage of strengthening the capacities of economic diplomacy, in this sense additional staff has been hired.
"Promoting economic interest, attracting investment, tourism are priorities of every Moldovan diplomat. We want an interaction with the Associations, to signal our needs, opportunities, directions of action. We have a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, we need to see what we can improve and please let us know when you identify shortcomings or opportunities. At the same time, we need to see what we can do in other markets where we have openness for our products ", said the minister.
Nicu Popescu also referred to the traditional eastern markets, which at the moment the political situation remains delicate.
"If there is a major destabilization around Ukraine, this will obviously affect our exports to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, respectively. That is why it is necessary to see to what extent we can have a geography of our external economic partnerships that is as capable as possible not only depends on the evolution of relations between third countries which, when it is argued, negatively affect us as well ”. the minister stressed.
Vitalie Gorincioi, President of the Moldova Fruit and Exporters Association, stressed that fruit growers were among the first to start exports to the EU market, thanks to the efforts of diplomatic missions that supported the producers.
"We want that in every embassy, where we have economic interest, we have specialists who know the specifics of the trade of that country, to be able to create links with reliable traders. We ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get involved and help us get tax-free access for our apples in Egypt - this is a topic that has been lingering for years, but we are talking about a market of 100 million consumers ", says Vitalie Gorincioi.
The producers also requested the Extension / continuation of the ENPARD Program which would have a multiplier effect of channeling the resources from the state and private budgets in order to modernize the agri-food and rural sector conditioned by the implementation of a necessary agricultural reform agenda.
Regarding the implementation of the DCFTA (Free Trade Agreement with the EU), the representatives of the associations emphasized that we are best at facilitating trade, but the other chapters are also related to the development of bilateral relations.
"In terms of energy efficiency, taxation and veterinary requirements (SPS) we have over 241 pieces of legislation that need to be transposed into the national framework, we do not have the institutional capacity to do so. It can take up to 6 months to transpose an act, it is unrealistic to talk about 241. It would be good to ask for support and funding from external partners in order to be able to implement all the regulations for which we are committed. We are no longer exporters of animal products to the EU market, we have lost institutional capacity, we have liberalized laboratory services, we are on alert in terms of national security and soon we will not be able to sell in the markets. from the East. We want to have a development, to modernize, but we want to have a fair and non-discriminatory approach ", mentioned Carolina Linte, President of the Association of Milk Producers and Processors.
For the next period, the MFAEI representatives proposed the intensification and transposition of the most important legislative acts of the DCFTA, the creation of a permanent communication platform with the Associations in the agricultural sector, dialogue between producers and the ambassadors of Moldova in missions in countries where there is economic interest .