Russia to assist Moldova in grain crisis

The government of Russia will give Moldova a grant or a technical credit to be spent on purchasing food grain. Russian Ambassador to Moldova Pavel Petrovskiy made this statement at a meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasiliy Tarlev on August 6, the press service of the Moldovan government told RBC. Russia will render this assistance to Moldova as the latter lost most its grain harvest as a result of poor weather conditions. The amount of the grant hasn't been defined yet, but Moldova reportedly has been asking for some 400,000 tons of wheat. During talks with Moldovan officials the Russian diplomat confirmed Russia's aspiration to expand and deepen its bilateral relations with Moldova.

At the same time, the Prime Minister of Moldova expressed his satisfaction with the intensification of Russian-Moldovan trade and economic ties and gave his positive estimation to the activities of Russian investors in Moldova, especially in the sphere of wine production and machine building. Obvious progress has been mentioned in the development of both bilateral relations between the two countries and between international organizations as well, Tarlev emphasized. The Moldovan Prime Minister highly appreciated Russia for acting as a guaranteeing power and an intermediary in settling the Pridnestrovye problem.