The NATO Liaison Office in Moldova was inaugurated in Chisinau on December 8. According to officials, the opening of the Office is an important stage in the relations between Moldova and NATO, which will contribute to strengthening the political dialogue and cooperation with NATO, without affecting the principle of constitutional neutrality of the Republic of Moldova. The inauguration involved Prime Minister Pavel Filip and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, who is in Moldova on an official visit, IPN reports.
Pavel Filip said the opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau will ensure the continuity of the projects implemented with NATO support and will stimulate other projects, to fight cyber security threats and terrorism, to reform the security and defense sector and others. “The opening of the NATO Office in Chisinau will foster the bilateral relations and will contribute to fully realizing the potential of coordination with NATO. One of the Government’s objectives is to contribute to settling the Transnistrian conflict and to obtain the pullout of the foreign military troops that stay on our territory against our will,” stated the Premier.
For her part, Rose Gottemoeller said the Office was opened at the request of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and this will help direct the partnership between the two entities. The NATO Office in Chisinau will not have military employees and will not be a military base. The Office will offer support for reforms to increase the defense capacity and will contribute to NATO transparency. “NATO fully respects the neutrality, independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. The North Atlantic bloc works with many neutral counties, including countries that have close relations with Russia,” stated the NATO Deputy Secretary General. Rose Gottemoeller approved of Moldova’s contribution to keeping peace and regional security, including by deploying National Army contingents to the KFOR operation in Kosovo.
The NATO Liaison Office is a diplomatic mission with experts from Moldova’s development partner states. It has no military implications and was set up in accordance with the provisions of the agreement that was signed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on November 29, 2016.
