The priorities of the Republic of Moldova in the cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were discussed in Stockholm in a meeting of Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova.

Mircea Geoană reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to the partnership with the Republic of Moldova, reiterating the organization’s support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and the respect for the status of neutrality of Moldova.

For his part, Nicu Popescu thanked for the NATO expertise and assistance offered to Moldova in time, in promoting democratic reforms, including the contribution to modernizing the national security and defense sectors, in accordance with the new requirements and evolution of the security environment. “We appreciate the NATO states’ assistance to the Republic of Moldova in alleviating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated the Deputy Prime Minister.

The two officials discussed methods of further supporting the reformation and modernization processes in Moldova’s defense sector, in accordance with the needs of the national authorities, and the Republic of Moldova-NATO cooperation agenda.

The meeting of Nicu Popescu and Mircea Geoană was held on the sidelines of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council that took place in Stockholm on Decembers 2-3 under the aegis of the Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship.