NATO reassures Moldova of support with Geoana's visit
The visit of NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana to Moldova on Thursday is a sign of the alliance's support for the country, experts say.
Geoana's visit comes at a time of heightened security in the region, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The experts said the visit is also a message of calm to Moldova, which is a neutral country.
Ion Tăbârță, an expert on Moldovan-NATO relations, told Radio Moldova that the visit is significant because it shows that NATO is paying close attention to Moldova.
"The fact that Mr. Geoană, who holds a high position in NATO, knows very well the realities of Moldova, of course contributes to the deepening of this dialogue," Tăbârță said. "In a relatively recent statement, he said that this dialogue is up to what Moldova wants. This dialogue can go as far as Moldova wants. The current pro-European government should decide what it wants from the relationship with NATO."
Laurențiu Pleșca, a political commentator in Bucharest, said that Moldova could be protected by NATO's "umbrella" of security, given that it borders a NATO member, Romania. This message is also being sent by Geoana's visit to Chisinau.
"He comes to send a message of calm, because it is important to say that these attacks that are happening at the Danube ports in Ukraine do not necessarily target Romania's or Moldova's infrastructure," Pleșca said. "In fact, he came to send a clear message to the Russian Federation, that NATO's "umbrella of defence" also covers Moldova. We also refer to the declarations of the Romanian president, who said that Romania will be alongside Moldova in any possible scenario."
Over the years, Moldova has received several visits from high-ranking NATO officials. On December 8, 2017, Rose Gottemoeller, the then-NATO Deputy Secretary General, attended the inauguration of NATO's Liaison Office in Moldova.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
