The executive director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE) Victor Chirila considers the EU will make a big strategic mistake if it renounces the Eastern Partnership (EaP), IPN reports, quoting an analysis by the expert published in the APE’s newsletter.

According to the analysis, one of the main shortcomings in the multilateral cooperation within the Eastern Partnership is the fact that the EaP’s activities and achievements are poorly communicated to the people. However, despite the widely spread conviction of the inefficiency of the multilateral dimension of the EaP, its thematic platforms are valuable instruments for discussing common problems, finding joint solutions, exchanging information and learning the best practices.

Victor Chirila said the emblematic initiatives help the EaP countries reach bilateral goals, implement internal reforms and harmonize the policies in accordance with the European norms and standards. The European Neighborhood Policy should attach greater importance to the reform of the security sectors of the EaP countries. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict revealed the need of urgently and comprehensively reviewing the security sector of Moldova.

The EU already assisted Moldova in reforming the Ministry of the Interior, including the Border Police, especially within the dialogue on the liberalization of the visa regime. The EU should further help the Moldovan authorities to decide the strategic planning and decision-making process in the area of security, including cyber security, and to increase the operational capacities of the key institutions working in the security sector, including the coordination and decision-making capacities of the National Security Council, said the expert.