The September 6 Government decision on the participation of a National Army contingent in the Rapid Trident military exercise that will take place at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center in Ukraine during September 7-24 was published the same day in a special edition of the Official Gazette, IPN reports.
Under the decision, the Ministry of Defense will take the necessary measures to organize, detach and prepare the military contingent for participation in the Rapid Trident exercise, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration will inform the authorities of the host county, through diplomatic channels, about the authorization of the participation in the exercise.
On September 5, President Igor Dodon requested the Ministry of Defense to stop the preparations for the participation by 57 National Army soldiers in the exercise in Ukraine and to inform the organizers that the Republic of Moldova will not take part in the drill.
The next day, the Government assumed responsibility for the service members’ participation in the training in Ukraine. “I cannot understand the motives and arguments for such a refusal. That’s why today we will take a decision on the participation by service members of the National Army in the training in Ukraine,” stated the Premier.
Shortly after this announcement, President Dodon suspended the Government decision on the participation by Moldovan service members in military training in Ukraine. On a social networking site, he wrote that for the first time he used his constitutional right as President to suspend a Government decision.
According to Igor Dodon, the Government violated provisions of the Law on National Defense, which say that the participation by units and subunits of the National Army in common military exercises together with other states with personnel, armament and military equipment is authorized by the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, which is the President. “The Republic of Moldova is a neutral state and the Moldovan service members should not take part in military exercises held under the aegis of a military bloc. We will not yet hamper the participation by Moldovan service members in peacekeeping exercises under the aegis of the UN,” wrote Igor Dodon.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Defense said the goal of the participation in the Rapid Trident exercise is to develop the interoperability level, to strengthen the defense capacities and to promote the National Army’s image on the international arena. The Moldovan service members have taken part in such exercises in Ukraine since 1996.
