President of the Republic of Moldova held a speech at CIS Summit

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, held a speech at the meeting of CIS Council of Heads of State in Dushanbe.

In his speech, Igor Dodon mentioned the most important aspects of the foreign policy, of the commercial and economic relations of our country with the foreign partners:

"There are several common issues for all of us: years of common history; common stages in which we have overcome the difficulties we had encountered together; common victories, such as Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

At the same time, we are different. Moldova has its own national interests. We want to promote a balanced foreign economic policy. We are not going to be pro-Western or pro-Eastern, we will be pro-Moldova, a neutral country. We are not going to build relationships with anyone against someone else, but we will have base on what is the best for Moldova and its citizens.

For Moldova, cooperation within the CIS is a good thing and an advantage, as well as some joint projects with the EU, the EUAE, Turkey and others. And we will develop this cooperation despite the opinions of all sorts of counselors and pseudo-partners. We must strive for a common strategy – a common Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok. The future belongs to this idea. We consider appropriate to start the negotiations on free trade areas between CIS – EU and UEEA – EU.

We face common challenges, and the answers to these challenges are better to be searched together, rather than separately. From this point of view, I think we have to hold meetings in this and other formats as often as possible, to discuss common issues, to find solutions, and to make common projects. Even in case of difficult topics, such as trade, energy, migration, compromises are possible. For this we need a dialogue. A complicated difficult dialogue is better than a simple rupture of relationship and a way to build barricades.

I am glad that my CIS counterparts understand this. I hope that my colleagues, heads of former USSR states understand it too. Together, we are stronger; each separately becomes an easy geopolitical prey. "