Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin will discuss a broad range of priority issues of bilateral cooperation as well as integrated partnership within the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The Moldovan president will come to Moscow on a working visit on June 22 at the invitation of the Russian head of state.
"Taking into account the fact that the date of the visit - June 22 - is the day of memory and grief for those who died in the years of the Second World War or lived through its trials, the heads of state will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the morning," a source in the Kremlin told Itar-Tass on Sunday.
According to the source, "the topics of the talks will include the situation in Moldova in connection with the new election campaign in the republic on the early elections, scheduled for July 29".
"The leaders will also give attention to the state of and prospects for the development of trade and economic relations between our countries," the source added. "Russia continues to remain one of the main Moldovan economic partners. In 2008 Russian-Moldovan trade turnover totalled 1.79 billion US dollars (increased by 32.1 percent as against 2007), including Russian export - 1.14 billion dollars (31.7-percent rise) and import - 651.1 million dollars (32.9-percent rise).
The world financial and economic crisis told on mutual trade early this year, the source emphasised. The drop in trade is maintained so far at the level of 30 percent as compared with the corresponding period of last year.
This drop was caused by the unfavourable price situation for raw materials, interruptions with Russian gas deliveries and a shutdown of some enterprises in the Dniester area.
In this connection, the two leaders will discuss diversification of trade, incentives to developing regional relations and possibilities of lending a new quality to relations through implementation of investment projects.
The presidents will also pay attention to integrated cooperation within the CIS, taking into account the fact that Moldova exercises this year's CIS chairmanship, while Russia will take over these functions in 2010. (Itar-Tass)
