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MOLDOVA'S COOPERATION PROGRAMME WITH INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND LIKELY TO BE APPROVED IN MAY

Chisinau, 6 April /MOLDPRES/ - Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has
received the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive director, Jeroen
Kremers, according to the presidential press service.

Within the meeting, Jeroen Kremers stressed the positive evolutions
registered in Moldova over the last two years, including on the dimension of
the dialogue of Moldovan authorities with the IMF.

Kremers particularly appreciated the fact that at present the main trends in
the relations between the IMF and Moldova are set at Chisinau's request, the
IMF adopting the stance of offering the necessary assistance for reaching
the development goals which do not run counter the principles of market
economy.

Voronin thanked the IMF official for the high appreciations of the social
and political situation in Moldova, underlining that the produced favourable
changes are due to the maturation of the political class in Moldova, as well
as the accumulated experience, particularly, as regards the understanding
and application of market economy mechanisms, amendment of principles of
staff policy through promoting young specialists with modern visions.

At the same time, Voronin said that, in spite of obtaining promising
results, the combating of corruption remains to be an important direction in
Moldovan authorities' activity. The president expressed the top officials'
willingness to widely cooperate with the civil society's representatives in
order to improve and ensure maximum of transparency in the process.

Kremers hailed the Moldovan leadership's intransigent position on the issue
and maintaining the goal of fighting economic crimes and corruption among
the most important activities. The IMF official appreciated the importance
of implementing by the Moldovan authorities of programmes of strategic
significance, such as the Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy
Paper (EGPRSP), the European Union Action Plan for Moldova, Millennium
Challenge, Cooperation programme with the IMF, which reciprocally complete
themselves and are focused on the country's needs.

In the context, Kremers highly appreciated the preliminary report on
fulfilling the EGPRSP, describing it as realist and very convincing.

Voronin informed Kremers about another very important programme, which is
being carried out in Moldova - the National Programme Moldovan Village,
which at present is a component part of the EGPRSP, related to a longer
perspective, being provided for 15 years.

The head of state underlined that the poverty has particularly affected the
rural sector and small towns, therefore there has to be paid an increased
attention to their development.

The president concretely referred to the opportunity to promote projects of
microcrediting farm units and farmers, other projects which will lead the
agriculture's development and revitalize the economic activities in the
rural sector.

Kremers backed Voronin's opinion on the issue, saying that the agriculture's
development, which is a strategic branch in Moldova's economy, has to be
paid a great attention. The IMF official referred to the possibility to
apply in Moldova microcrediting financial mechanisms, which could lead to
making more active the small-and medium-sized enterprises and improving the
situation in the rural sector.

Kremers welcomed the Moldovan authorities' decision referring to opening the
access of foreign banks on the Moldovan financial-banking market,
appreciating this step as a very important one for the reinforcement of the
national economy's real sector.

Kremers underlined the constructive dialogue held with the Chisinau
officials on the cooperation programme of Moldova with the IMF, voicing hope
that, having a political consensus in key-problems, it could be approved on
22 May 2006 within the meeting of IMF's Board of Directors.

Voronin expressed conviction that the approval of the collaboration
programme with the IMF will mark a new page in the history of Moldova's
relations with the International Monetary Fund.

Photo by V. Corcimari: source