Minister of Defense Anatol Salaru, at the Warsaw NATO Summit, sought assistance in obtaining the pullout of the Russian army from the Transnistrian region. In a news conference given upon his return to Chisinau, the minister said it is for the first time that the final resolution of a summit of such a scale contains a whole paragraph on Moldova, IPN reports.
According to the final declaration, the Alliance remains committed to the partnership with the Republic of Moldova with a view to ensuring a stable future for it. Anatol Salaru noted that the goal of NATO is not to bring an army to Moldova, but to promote reforms so that the people live in a safe country. The objective of NATO is to help Moldova form a modern army able to ensure the country’s security.
In his speech, Anatol Salaru asked for the support of the NATO member states in obtaining the withdrawal of the Russian army whose presence in the Transnistrian region is illegal, noting that it is not about the peacekeeping force. “I asked for assistance in replacing the current peacekeeping force with a civil mission under United Nations auspices. Representatives of Russia can be present there, but as civilians. Russia is a party to the conflict. When a country is a participant in the conflict, it cannot guarantee peace,” stated the minister.
He also said that the Republic of Moldova is late in fulfilling a number of commitments assumed earlier such as to work out a defense strategy and to open a NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau.
