No official invitation for Moldova to join Customs Union yet

         Russia has never extended an official invitation for Moldova to become a member of the Customs Union, Prime Minister of Moldova Mr Vladimir Filat told the Moldovan television. After talks with Vladimir Filat in September 2012 Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev told a press conference that Russia is interested in expanding the Customs Union made up by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan but believes that Moldova should choose this way on its own.
         Dmitry Medvedev underlined that participation in any integration association should be a willful choice instead of the choice imposed from the outside.
         According to the Russian Premier, it is fully true as far as the Customs Union and the free trade agreements for the CIS and the European Union are concerned. Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had never enforced its approaches upon potential partners. “We are naturally interested in getting the Customs Union and the economic union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan afterwards to grow larger and stronger,” he said. The Russian head of government added that it should happen the natural way.
In turn, Vladimir Filat remarked that Moldova is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States and intends to advance cooperation in this area.