NATO Centre opened at Moldova State University
https://www.ipn.md/index.php/en/nato-centre-opened-at-moldova-state-university-7965_966691.html
The Information and Documentation Centre on NATO was inaugurated on Wednesday, October 3, at the Moldovan State University in Chisinau. The director of the centre, Radu Gorincioi, stated that the opening of the centre doesn’t affect the neutrality of Moldova.
The centre is a non-governmental structure aimed at correctly informing the population about the security problems and Moldova’s relations with NATO in terms of these problems, Gorincioi explained.
“The Government’s agenda doesn’t include the problem of modifying the neutral status of Moldova”, Defence Minister Vitalie Vrabie told reporters. According to him, Moldova is concerned about establishing contacts and relations by implementing various projects. The country cooperates with NATO in the frameworks of the individual partnership programme (IPP) and an action plan, signed by Moldova in 2006.
When asked to what extent NATO is interested in Moldova as a potential member, Stefanie Babst, NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, said that Moldova is the one that has to express its wish to become a member. The final decision for accepting a new member depends on each of the 26 state members of NATO. The NATO official stated that the Alliance is looking for trustworthy and stable partners in terms of security and defence and that Moldova proved to be a capable partner.
Neutrality represents a sort of abstention in foreign policy for Moldova, Vice Speaker Iurie Rosca said. The 11th article of the Constitution established the neutral status of Moldova. At the same time, the Constitution also includes an article on the limits for reviewing the Constitution, Rosca says. Thus, the neutrality can be reviewed through a referendum which would gather a majority of 50+1 votes of the total number of eligible voters.
The setting up of the Centre for Information and Documentation on NATO was supported by the Romanian Embassy in Moldova.