France marks national day

Chisinau, 14 July /MOLDPRES/ - France celebrates its National Day today. It is the biggest country of the European Union, located between Spain, the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the North Sea, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is divided into 96 departments, divided into 21 regions and a territorial collectivity (Corsica). It has an area of 633,000 square kilometres and a population of over 66 million inhabitants. The population represents 13 per cent of the total EU population (2014). The capital of France is Paris, with a population of 2.2 million inhabitants. Other major cities are: Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and others.
In 2014, the most important sectors of the French economy were: public administration, defence, education, health and social assistance (23.2 per cent); wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (17.7 per cent) and industry (13.8 per cent). The gross domestic product (GDP) is 2.060 trillion euros (2013).
It exports cars, electronics, textiles, soft goods, iron ore, aluminium, bauxite, wheat, sugar, wine, food. It imports industrial raw materials and fuels. it has foreign trade with Germany, UK, USA, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and other countries.
The diplomatic relations between Moldova and France were established on 11 March 1992.
In the period January-November 2014 (with the exception of the commercial activity of economic agents in the eastern districts), the total volume of trade with France amounted to 114.3 million dollars. In terms of the value of trade volume registered during this period, France ranks eleventh among Moldova's trade partners.
The main companies operating with French capital in Moldova are: Orange (telecommunications sector), the Lafarge cement factory (building materials); Kazayak Vin (food / wine); Fabbri-Inox (industrial equipment); Lactis (food industry), Societe Generale (banking sector).
(Reporter N. Roibu, editor M. Jantovan)