Chair of NATO's Military Committee says providing Moldova with support on agenda of Alliance's priorities

Chisinau, 16 May /MOLDPRES/ - The providing of support to Moldova is on the agenda of the priorities of Alliance and it will remain so as long as it is necessary. Chair of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Alliance, Admiral Robert Bauer today made statements to this effect at a conference held jointly with the commandant of the National Army, Eduard Ohladciuc.    

During his visit to Chisinau, the chair of NATO’s Military Committee had meetings with Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii and the commandant of the National Army Eduard Ohladciuc. The discussion’s agenda was focused on subjects regarding the present stage of the Moldova-NATO cooperation relations within the Partnership for Peace (PfP), the evolution of the security situation in the region and the crises faced by Moldova in the context of the war in Ukraine, reform of the defence sector from Moldova and the National Army’s contribution to the keeping of peace and stability internationally through the participation in peacekeeping missions.   

In the context, Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii highly appreciated the assistance provided by the allied and partner countries of NATO for the implementation of various projects aimed at developing the defence sector, according to the principles of democratic governance and at modernizing the capabilities of defence, as well as enhancing the national resilience.  

In the end of the meetings, Eduard Ohladciuc and Robert Bauer made press statements, within which they referred to the achievements of the partnership of more than 30 years between Moldova and the North Atlantic Alliance, with emphasis on the external projects meant for consolidating the defence capacities of Moldova, among which the Moldova-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and the enhanced package of assistance on behalf of the Alliance – Defence Capacities Building Initiative (DCBI).   

The chair of the NATO Military Committee said the providing of support to Moldova was on the agenda of the Alliance’s priorities and would be so as long as needed. ‘’ Presently, we undertake concrete measures to provide bigger political and practical support to Moldova, in order to back your resilience and political independence. The NATO observes the constitutional neutrality of Moldova,’’ Robert Bauer said.    

For his part, Eduard Ohladciuc appreciated the support of the North Atlantic Alliance in the approval, in last February, of the package of assistance for the National Army, which provides for the enhancement of the cooperation, in order to strengthen the national resilience before the new challenges, as well as the support provided during year within different programmes and projects of common interest.    

”The development of the defence capacities and the transformation of the National Army into a modern institution, adjusted to the international standards and able to provide security to our country’s citizens, is one of the goals of Moldova’s leadership. We appreciate much the support of the North Atlantic Alliance, in order to provide a significant assistance in this respect, including through diverse forms of training at centres of excellence, exercises held jointly with servicemen of NATO and partner countries, as well as expertise in the working out of documents of policies in the defence sector,’’ the commandant of the National Army said.    

In Chisinau, the chair of the NATO Military Committee had a string of working meetings with Prime Minister Dorin Recean, representatives of the parliamentary commissions for national security, defence and public order, as well as officials of the foreign diplomatic missions with residence in Chisinau.