Moldova seeks to attract Azerbaijani businessmen to airport project

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

The Moldavian Ministry of Transport and Roads Infrastructure has invited Azerbaijani investors to participate in the modernization of Balti International Airport.

The government of Moldova offers to realize the project in the form of public-private partnership, which will allow co-manage the project, to make it more competitive, stable and attractive to passengers.

The total project cost is estimated at 35 million euros.

After the modernization, the annual passenger traffic of the airport is expected to increase from the current 220,000 to 400,000 people within two to four years.

Currently, the airport is managed by the state-owned airline Moldaeroservice, subordinated to the Transport and Road Infrastructure Ministry.

The airport is one of the two airports serving the city of Balti. Located 15 km north of the city center, in the northern part of the country, it is the second largest airport of Moldova, servicing cargo and charter passengers' flights. 

Azerbaijan’s the trade turnover with Moldova amounted to $3.75 million in January-November 2016, some  3.25 million of which fell for imports from that country, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.

The number of exported products will increase between the two countries, as starting next year Azerbaijan will export horseflesh to Moldova.

Both countries are members of a free trade area that were signed into law in 1994 with the participation of the CIS countries. Within the free trade agreement, member countries are expected to eliminate export and import duties on a number of goods.