Chisinau’s ambiguous attitude towards NATO is detrimental to Moldova’s image – MP

The ambiguous attitude of the Chisinau authorities towards NATO is a disadvantage to Moldova, and jeopardises its image internationally, the MP Anatol Taranu stated within the frameworks of the third traditional roundtable “Security through Cooperation”, held on Thursday, January 16, at the Ministry of Defence, Info-Prim Neo reports. The MP considers as abnormal the situation where the government renounces upon a real chance to influence in the most direct way the solving of the Transnistrian conflict, which would not be solved unless we motivate our potential allies to support us. During the roundtable, the participants discussed upon the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) Moldova – NATO, which is being implemented since 2006. In the context, Major General (ret) Dr. Horst Schmalfeld, German Deputy Director of George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, said a stronger inter-ministry collaboration is needed for the efficient implementation of the plan. Schmalfeld advised Moldova to follow the example of other countries which started earlier to implement the IPAP, mentioning in this context Georgia and Azerbaijan. The participants also referred to issues like Moldova’s security as a neutral state, national security in the process of acceding to NATO and the EU, participation of National Army military in the post-conflict and peace keeping operations.