Russian consulate to open in Balti

Russia will open a consulate in Balti Municipality, as agreed today in Chisinau by Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. As regards the plans for a consulate in Tiraspol, the sides agreed to continue discussions on the issue, with the first occasion to be Moldo-Russian consular consultations on November 22, Info-Prim Neo reports. As the Moldovan Government said in a press release, Filat and Rogozin took stock of a vast array of issues in the bilateral relations, discussed cooperation within the CIS and in the Transnistrian settlement process. A separate issue discussed concerned cooperation in education. The interlocutors also agreed to deepen economic cooperation by launching new investment projects, noting the constant rise in bilateral trade: whereas in 2011 it stood at $2 billion, it is projected it will increase by 20% until the end of the year.