NATO Secretary General says North Atlantic Alliance fully supports Moldova's sovereignty, territorial integrity, asks Russia to withdraw troops from country

Chisinau, 26 October /MOLDPRES/ - The consistent support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for the implementation of the reforms and development of the defence and security capacities of Moldova, as well as the deepening of the cooperation with the Alliance have been subjects discussed at a meeting of Prime Minister Dorin Recean and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the members of the NATO General Council, held in Brussels today, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.     
Within the Council, a session was dedicated to the situation in Moldova and the assistance which the member states can provide to the country for maintaining peace, stability and strengthening the defence and public order capacities.  
The officials referred to the threats to the national security, such as the misinformation and hybrid attacks, the Russian energy blackmail and the attempts of destabilization of the society, in order to undermine the perspectives of integration into the European Union.   
The prime minister said that Moldova wanted to extend the cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance for the modernization of the armed force, consolidation of the resilience and exchange of experience in the field of strategic communication. In the context, PM Dorin Recean thanked the members of the NATO Council for the adoption of the set of measures for backing Moldova and the package of assistance, approved in last February, for the strengthening of the country’s defence capacity.     
„Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine showed us that we must modernize the armed forces and enhance the national resilience. We will make even greater efforts to this end, along with our friends, in order to develop the resilience of the society, institutions, as well as our defence capacities,’’ Prime Minister Dorin Recean said in Brussels.   
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg touched upon the pressures of Russia on Moldova, noting that the Alliance fully supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and demands that Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Moldova. The official reconfirmed the commitment of deepening the partnership and providing the assistance necessary for the consolidation of the country’s defence capacities.     
„The NATO fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and we ask Russia to withdraw its forces from the territory of your country. You can rely on our continuous assistance. In the beginning of this year, NATO agreed on a substantial package, in order to help you consolidate the cyber security and the strategic communication, as well as to be able to improve the defence capacity. And at the Vilnius Summit, we agreed upon the boosting of our sectoral and political cooperation,’’ the NATO official said.      
In the end, PM Dorin Recean reiterated that Moldova would further contribute to the consolidation of the European and international security and stability, through participation in peacekeeping missions.  
Photo: Government