Moldovan president participates in meeting on coordination of Initiative of Consolidating Defence Capacity

Chisinau, 2 April /MOLDPRES/ - President Maia Sandu today participated in a meeting on coordination of the Initiative of Consolidating the Defence Capacity, along with the leadership of the Defence Ministry and foreign partners, the presidential press service has reported.
Launched by the NATO for the countries non-members of the Alliance in 2015, the Initiative implies a package of expertise and assistance for the development and modernization of the National Army. Attending the meeting was the leadership of the Defence Ministry, National Army, ambassadors and representatives of 14 partner countries, representatives of the NATO Office in Moldova.    
„The need of continuous modernization and transformation of the National Army, in order to be able to answer the new challenges to the country’s security and more actively participate in ensuring the European and regional security. There is national consensus about the need of the strategic reform of the defence system and we have an important support on behalf of the foreign partners in the efforts of Army’s reformation,’’ President, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Maia Sandu said.     
The head of state encouraged the leadership of the Defence Ministry and the National Army to turn to good account proactively the opportunities provided by this project. At the same time, she noted that the enforcement of this ambitious plan would be impossible without the expertise and assistance which we enjoy on behalf of the Alliance, the member states and foreign partners. Also, Maia Sandu stressed that she would back the approaches of the Defence Ministry to increase the budget for the Army’s modernization and increasing the salaries, noting that priority was the efficient use of the public money.    
„I want to see significant improvements in the way the public money is used, in line with the strategic goals and a management of the human resources focused on the cultivation of servicemen’s loyalty to the country, not to one or another leader. The human resources represent the principal value of the defence system and the leadership has the duty to provide every needed support to encourage and keep the staff trained in the system,’’ President Maia Sandu said.     
„The today’s meeting showed once again that, although progress is made, we still have much to do to achieve the goals. Therefore, I ask the leadership of the Defence Ministry and the National Army to take sustained efforts to implement the reform and use the foreign assistance provided with maximal efficiency,’’ the head of state added.     
photo: presedintie.md