Even if the Republic of Moldova is not exposed to imminent military dangers, the authorities remain vigilant and continue to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities, said the head of the Parliament’s commission on foreign policy and European integration Doina Gherman. According to the PAS MP, the Moldova-Romania-Germany trilateral meeting is an additional proof of the support offered by the European community to the Moldovan citizens, IPN reports.
After a meeting held in Bucharest with the President of Romania and the German Chancellor, President Maia Sandu announced that the Republic of Moldova continues to be considerably affected by the war in Ukraine, but it copes owing to the EU’s support. For their part, the European officials assured Moldova of assistance in dealing with Russia’s attempts to destabilize the situation.
“The historic trilateral meeting held at the Cotroceni Palace is an additional proof of the firm and unwavering support offered by Romania and Germany to the Republic of Moldova. It is a powerful political message for the country’s administration and a sign of solidarity with the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. These optimistic messages from the President of Romania and the federal Chancellor are gladdening. The discussions centered on the crises experienced by the Republic of Moldova, including the security and energy ones, the destabilization attempts witnessed in the Republic of Moldova, and our European course. We are determined to continue the reforms,” Doina Gherman stated in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova.
She noted that Moldova will continue to invest in security and defense and a first step in this direction was taken by increasing the Ministry of Defense’s budget twofold.
“The package support for the Republic of Moldova’s security envisions primarily the strengthening of the capacities of the institutions responsible for the citizens’ security and defense. First of all, we need to strengthen the human resources so that the people are trained and prepared. The biggest risks we now see include concerted hybrid, cyber attacks. Even if there is no military danger at the moment, we cannot do nothing. We remain vigilant and strengthen the defense capabilities,” noted the PAS MP.
Representatives of civil society said the West’s assistance in coping with the crises generated by the war is essential for the Republic of Moldova. The IPRE executive director said President Sandu’s participation in the 2023 Bucha Summit and in the trilateral meeting in Bucharest is a clear message that the Republic of Moldova is on the correct side of history.
“After Ukraine, Moldova is most seriously affected by the war. In a year of the outbreak of the war, we saw how much solidarity matters. Moldova is a small country without financial and military resources, but we took part in programs of support for Ukraine during the refugee crisis, in the transportation of goods. During this year, it has been very important for Moldova to also handle these crises, provocations. It is important to cope with the hybrid challenges and it is therefore important for Moldova’s voice to be heard in the European capitals, in Kyiv so that we manage to position ourselves on the side of the free world,” said the executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) Iulian Groza.
