Part 498

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae TAU chancery: Suites 329, 333, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 783-3012 FAX: (202) 783-3342

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John Todd STEWART embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau 277014 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (2) 23-37-72 FAX: (2) 23-30-44

Flag: same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

Economy -------

Economic overview: Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas. Energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan Government has been making steady progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Chisinau has introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Chisinau appears strongly committed to continuing these reforms in 1996. Published estimates probably overstated the decline in output in 1991-94; the $2,310 per capita figure for GDP thus is a minimum estimate.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (1995 estimate extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP real growth rate: -3% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $2,310 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 33% industry: 36% services: 31% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 24% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 2.03 million (January 1994) by occupation: agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)

Unemployment rate: 1.2% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (December 1995)

Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA note: budget deficit for 1995 approximately 5% of GDP

Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: -6% (1995 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 3,000,000 kW production: 8.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,830 kWh (1994)

Agriculture: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; meat, milk

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis; mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Exports: $720 million (1995) commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals partners: Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany

Imports: $822 million (1995) commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

External debt: $550 million (of which $250 million to Russia)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $46 million (1993) note: commitments, $1,335 million ($500 million disbursements), 1992-95

Currency: the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

Exchange rates: lei per US$1 - 4.5460 (January 1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993), 0.4145 (1992), 0.0017 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways: total: 1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)