NATO Liaison Office inaugurated in Moldova's capital
12:52 | 08.12.2017 Category: Political
Chisinau, 8 December /MOLDPRES/ - A NATO Liaison Office was inaugurated in Chisinau today. Attending the event of opening the office were Prime Minister Pavel Filip and Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller. The two officials said the office would consolidate the partnership between Moldova and the NATO and did not affect the country’s neutrality.
According to Filip, the opening of this centre will bring a new breath to the relations with NATO and will contribute to the carrying out of the earlier set priorities.
“The agreement on the opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau was signed in Brussels on 29 November 2016 and the institution will contribute, in particular, to citizens’ informing about the benefits of Moldova’s cooperation with the North Atlantic Organization,” Filip said.
Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller noted that the inauguration of a liaison office in Chisinau was an occasion of pride for the NATO, which appreciates the importance of the relations with Moldova. The official specified that the centre had been opened at a request by the Moldovan cabinet and is not a military base, but an assistance institution. “We have similar offices in more countries which are neutral, just as Moldova, which does not hinder a good cooperation. The NATO mission is and will be a civilian one in Moldova,” Gottemoeller added.
In a statement put on a social network, President Igor Dodon said that the opening of a NATO liaison office in Chisinau was a reason for concern. He noted that any cooperation of Moldova with military blocs should be brought for discussion with the entire society.
Also today, supporters of the Party of Socialists protested against the opening of the NATO liaison office.
(Reporter A. Zara, editor A. Raileanu)