CAO, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rudolf Villem PERINA
embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 2009
mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address--American
Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080

Flag description: 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

Economy--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, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed
to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union
in 1991. The Moldovan Government has recently been making progress
on an ambitious economic reform agenda. As part of its reform
efforts, Moldova introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all
prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises
and backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and
freed interest rates. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, with
whom Moldova conducts 55% of its trade, was a major cause of the
8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999, the IMF resumed payment on Moldova's
Extended Fund Facility, which had been suspended since 1997. The IMF
intends to grant $135 million in 1999.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$10 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: -8.6% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,200 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 29%
services