Mircea Geoană reiterates NATO support for Moldova. Igor Grosu: "A neutral country needs a strong defence system"
A neutral country needs a strong defence system, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated this once again, said Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu at a joint press conference in Brussels with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană. The senior NATO official noted that NATO strongly supports the right of the Republic of Moldova to decide its own future without external interference and in full support of the constitutional neutrality of the state.
The official in Chisinau noted that since the beginning of the war, Russia has intensified its hybrid attacks on our country. In this context, the Moldovan authorities are working to increase the country's resilience in terms of cyber security and countering foreign disinformation actions.
"By developing our country, we also contribute to security in the region, which is why we continue to need all the support and expertise from NATO to maintain peace in our country and strengthen our defence capability. We are determined to strengthen this historic partnership with NATO. Moldova needs strong friends in these times and we assure you that we are a serious partner, because we are talking first and foremost about the security and safety of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and the whole continent", said Igor Grosu.
The head of the legislature also noted that cooperation between Moldova and the North Atlantic Alliance has intensified over the past year.
At the same time, Mircea Geoană welcomed Moldova's efforts to strengthen national security and its contribution to Euro-Atlantic security. "NATO allies support Moldova's European integration, it is the key to a prosperous and more stable future for Moldovan citizens. The Republic of Moldova can count on NATO's support," the official added.
Mircea Geoană also said "he looks forward to welcoming Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu to the NATO Summit in Vilnius next week".
In addition to its member states, NATO has a Partnership for Peace (PfP), which was introduced in January 1994. Currently, 20 countries, including the Republic of Moldova, are part of this partnership. The main aim of the Partnership is to strengthen stability and security throughout Europe. This is made possible by a Framework Document signed between the partner countries and NATO.
The Republic of Moldova cooperates with NATO not only on segments related to military activity, and the support we receive under this partnership helps us to face external and internal threats. It is important to emphasize that NATO provides support for the reform of the national army, for strengthening the integrity of the Republic of Moldova. Specifically, we are talking about actions that will eliminate corruption in the security sector.
NATO is providing support to local public authorities. For example, support has been provided for the destruction of pesticides left on the territory of the country from the time of the USSR. The Alliance has also provided humanitarian aid in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and support to Moldova's science sector. This is done by facilitating cooperation between local and international experts.
At the same time, here we also bring as an example the opening of a cyber security laboratory in the Technical University of Moldova, as well as the opening of such a centre in the Ministry of Defence.
Although Moldova is not a member of NATO, it cooperates with the organisation and contributes to the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
