Swiss officials filed an application to Moldovan authorities on behalf of Philip Morris to give the cigarette manufacturer a voice in discussions around new tobacco regulation, according to Le Temps, swissinfo reported.

According to the report, diplomats from the Swiss embassy in Kiev, which also covers interests in Moldova, lodged the request in July as politicians in the eastern European country were discussing a strict new tobacco law.
Philip Morris told Le Temps that they asked the Swiss embassy to push for “the possibility to contribute, like all other interested parties, to a public consultation about legislative proposals that would affect smokers and our business”.
The tobacco giant, headquartered in Switzerland, is a big employer and tax-payer in Moldova, a country where some 50 per cent of people are affected by smoking, the report said.
The story comes just a few weeks after a public debate on the role of PMI in sponsoring the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. According to the report, the partnership was dropped after negative headlines and criticism from health organisations.