OREANDA-NEWS. February 21, 2012. Prime Minister Vlad Filat met a group of Lithuanian investors, the government's communication and press relations department has said.

The head of ARVI Enterprise Group Company, Vidmantas Kucinskas, and the chairman of BAVI (Baltic Institute of Agrobusiness), Raimundas Lopata, presented the projects due to be implemented in Moldova.

The Lithuanian business people noted that they have a wide experience in the agriculture and food sectors, including in the Baltic states, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Romania, etc. In this respect, the ARVI Enterprise Group and the BAVI companies can provide both consultancy services for feasibility studies, calculation of economic and juridical expenses for the implementation of the projects, and put into practice these projects.

At the same time, the Lithuanian investors said that in the nearest future, they intend to carry out two projects in Moldova: the construction of a factory processing and canning turkey meat and a plant processing animal waste.

Vidmantas Kucinskas said that over 350 new jobs will be created within the first project, which sees the opening of a modern poultry factory for processing and canning turkey meat. The investments' figure stands at about 20 million euros, whereas the enterprise s capacity is expected to exceed 6,000 tonnes of production which will meet the European standards.

For his part, Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that the Moldovan government backs the development of quality production, both for domestic consumption, as well as for exports to the international market. In this context, the prime minister said that the official talks on the creation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Moldova and the European Union (DCFTA) will start in March 2012.

"In 2011, Moldova's exports hiked by 62 per cent, ensuring the diversification of the sales market. At the same time, it is necessary to create the needed conditions to upgrade the processing of the raw materials and to create new jobs for Moldovan citizens," the prime minister said.

Also, the Lithuanian investors expressed their interest in cooperation in the field of fertilizers and sugar production, as well as in the field of waste management.