The NATO Summit in Washington decided that, amidst the hybrid pressure exerted on the Republic of Moldova, the organization will increase political and practical assistance for the country. This means more assistance in developing the security, defense and resilience capacities of the Republic of Moldova, but also on the path of integration into the EU, in modernization and democratization, Valeriu Mija, secretary of state of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated during a briefing on the Washington summit results for the Republic of Moldova, which took place at the Polish Embassy in Chisinau - the point of connection with the North Atlantic Alliance.
Referring to the development of Moldova’s partnership with NATO, the speaker stressed that the Moldovan authorities want to boost the political dialogue and practical cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance. “We are interested in capitalizing to the greatest extent possible on the possibilities offered by NATO to partner states, and in becoming a credible partner with added value for common international security,” said the official.
At the same time, taking into account the opinions of those who consider that the status of neutrality - which is always taken into account by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, unlike others - is enough for the Moldovan state to be bypassed by the plagues of war, the official pointed out that the principle of neutrality and its regulation in international legislation do not imply self-isolation, demilitarization or indifference to international events, including acts of aggression, in particular those condemned by the UN Security Council or the UN General Assembly.
The strengthening of defense capabilities, the secretary of state noted, is a priority because, over the past 15 years, a number of international actors have made enormous efforts of historical revisionism of the international order based on international law, especially the provisions of the UN Charter, the OSCE principles and guidelines, versus the so-called world order based on civilizational or multipolar spaces, in other words, spaces of influence, which were the basis of the political paradigm of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. “We all know what these tragic relations ended with in the 20th century,” said Valeriu Mija, referring to the horrors of the last world war.
Moreover, he stressed, in the past two years, we have been bearing the effects of the dramatic transformations of the international security environment, especially in the Black Sea Basin Region, along with the Republic of Moldova, where the situation has become unstable, volatile and fragile. The Russian Federation in 2022 started the war against Ukraine with the intention of changing national borders through force and war, undermining the rules- and norms-based international order, the security architecture and arrangements in Europe, established by the Rome Declaration of 1990 and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 1990. Moreover, this war has serious effects on the security and development of the Republic of Moldova.
In this connection, the official noted that among the main topics of the NATO Summit in Washington were the issue of security in Eastern Europe, the defense of Ukraine, restoration of the rules- and norms-based international order, provision of political support and practical assistance to Ukraine and the Eastern partner states to increase security capabilities, their defense and resilience. “This fact convinces us that NATO is a credible partner,” concluded Valeriu Mija, noting that the decisions adopted by the NATO Summit in Washington are also very important for regional security, for the future of Ukraine, the Black Sea Basin and, obviously, for the Republic of Moldova, which feels the effects and direct impact of regional developments.
Michaela Guerard Šimák, Head of the NATO Liaison Office, and Tomasz Kobzdej, Ambassador of Poland in Chisinau, also spoke at the briefing.
