In the matter before this Tribunal, Claimant, a US–Moldovan joint venture company established in November 1996 in the Free Economic Zone of Chisinau (hereinafter “the FEZ”) in the Republic of Moldova, alleges to have suffered an indirect expropriation for which it seeks compensation pursuant the Bilateral Investment Protection Treaty between the USA and the Republic of Moldova, signed on April 21, 1993 and effective November 25, 1994 (hereinafter “the BIT”). Claimant has named the Department of Customs Control of the Republic of Moldova as Respondent. The Tribunal has been set up under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, one of the optional arbitration systems referred to in the BIT.