The administration of the General Staff laid flowers at the monument to Ruler Stephan the Great in Chisinau on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the foundation of the National Army. According to Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta, the National Army needs to be modernized and the major goal is to form an army consisting of servicemen working on a contract basis, IPN reports.

“We aim to have a 100% professional army by 2017. But this thing depends a lot on the financial allocations and the support offered by the administration of Moldova. We are in a continuous reformation process,” stated Vitalie Marinuta.

As to the incidents that happened in the armed forces, the official said that the National Army is like the society. “A poor society cannot have a rich army,” stated Vitalie Marinuta. He added that measures are being taken to avoid such problems, but the young men should start to be prepared for army while in school, while the authorities’ duty is to make the military service more attractive.

A congratulation message sent by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca says that the National Army, as an inseparable part of the state, showed that it is not only an essential component of the armed forces, but also an important social segment that must be the guarantor of the constitutional democracy. According to the Premier, the National Army is being transformed into a modern, European-type army and the Government of Moldova counts on the professionalism and patriotism of the Moldovan servicemen in achieving this objective.