OREANDA-NEWS. July 13, 2010. The Moldovan government and the US Government signed an agreement on economic growth worth 10.1 million dollars, the government s press service has said.

Minister of State Victor Bodiu signed the document on Moldova s behalf and the director of the USAID Mission, Janina Jaruzelski, on the USA s behalf. Prime Minister Vlad Filat and US Ambassador to Moldova Asif J. Chaudhry put confirmation signatures.

After the signing ceremony, Filat and Chaudhry made press statements.

"The today s document proves once again the positive dynamic of the Moldovan-US relations. The signing of the agreement on assistance for economic growth fits perfectly into the actions that took place in our bilateral relations and which made them more dynamic," Filat said.

"The agreement worth 10.1 million dollars that we signed today targets important cooperation sectors such as competitiveness in the private sector and economic opportunities," Filat said.

Filat said that the document provided for the creation of business-friendly environment by increasing institutional capacities encouraging the development of private industrial enterprises oriented towards exports. Another goal is to improve the Moldovan government s capacity to collect taxes and fees, decrease fraud and ensure a rise in the state s income.

The agreement aims at increasing the productiveness of small enterprises, particularly low-income ones run by less well-off categories of people so that they benefit from opportunities created by the economic growth.

Asif J. Chaudhry said that the US Government backed the ambitious reform agenda of the Moldovan government and noted that it was for the first time that he saw such a strong commitment to the implementation of reforms.

The diplomat said that the agreement is a first step aimed at backing Moldova s economic development.

"We hope that the implementation of the agreement will lead to the creation of new jobs in Moldova," he said.

The ambassador specified that the proceeds are meant to back the development of export-oriented high-value agriculture and to create a business-friendly environment.

Asif J. Chaudhry said the USA would adjust the financial assistance to Moldova s needs in order to get maximally efficient results.

The US ambassador and the Moldovan prime minister said they would personally monitor the implementation of the agreement.