The conclusion of the Moldovan-Romanian Defense Cooperation Agreement 12 years ago marked the development of special relations between the armies of the two Romanian states. The preamble of this document stated: “We are opening a new page in the mutually beneficial cooperation between the military institutions of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, which will contribute to the development of the defense and security systems in both states, while being beneficial in the projects of the international community.” Among the main topics discussed at that time were the joint training of the servicemen of the two armies and the joint implementation of reforms in the defense sector. During the 12 years, the Moldovan-Romanian Defense Cooperation Agreement was amended twice, in December 2016 and in May 2024. On Thursday, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova gave a first reading to a draft law by which the bilateral agreement was supplemented with a new article entitled “Mutual support in the case of missions and operations”. This stipulates that mutual logistical and administrative support will be provided in the process of preparation and participation in missions and operations under the aegis of international organizations, UN, OSCE, NATO and EU. The experts invited to IPN’s public debate “Romania-Republic of Moldova, extension of cooperation in the military field” discussed the provisions of the new article.

Pavel Horea, security expert of WatchDog Community, said that 12 years ago, the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania drafted and signed an agreement that envisions extensive strengthening of the mutual defense capabilities. In particular, the agreement treated the Republic of Moldova as a partner that needed that support from an ally, which was also part of NATO. It was due to the fact that the armed forces of the Republic of Moldova needed an extensive training and integration program with Western security bodies. The goal was for the standards of the Republic of Moldova’s army to reach Western standards, NATO standards in order to streamline interoperability at the level of international missions in which the Republic of Moldova participated and in which it was to participate in the future.

“This agreement, signed 12 years ago, describes a wide range of events and activities that the military of the two states can undertake. First of all, we must understand that this agreement envisioned logistical support and support related to the training of the military and the exchange of experience as, for an efficient training process, involvement and exchange of experience between a number of states or representatives of ministries are needed,” noted the security expert.

According to him, this requires a significant financial effort, but the Republic of Moldova, both then and now, does not have the necessary financial resources. “And this agreement came as support first of all for our servicemen to gain experience, to participate in training and to raise their standards of activity both in international missions and in carrying out activities on the territory of the Republic of Moldova,” said Pavel Horea.

Laurențiu Pleșca, researcher at the Romanian Center for Russian Studies, expert in European policies of Europuls European Expertise Center, said that the conclusion of this Moldovan-Romanian agreement on cooperation in the military field 12 years ago was a significant moment. The document laid the foundations for the development of special relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova and paved the way for mutually beneficial cooperation. It also contributed to the improvement of the defense system of the Republic of Moldova and to the security of both of the states. “Romania is a reliable partner that helps the Republic of Moldova not only in the military field, of course. It is a selfless partner, which is a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. So, practically we only stand to gain from the cooperation with the Romanian state. Every time we had a turning point, Bucharest was the one that came to our aid the first. So, since the founding of the Republic of Moldova, I have noticed how Romania has unconditionally supported the Republic of Moldova,” noted the researcher who is native of Moldova.

The expert said the Romanian Government’s assistance in strengthening the capacities and in reforming the defense sector of the Republic of Moldova was constant and was really essential. In his opinion, the 2012 agreement is one of the most consistent ones because it transposes this dimension of joint training and exercises between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Currently, it is very important, especially in the context of the Russian Federation’s war in Ukraine and the geopolitical changes in the region.

“We can say that the exchange of information between Bucharest and Chisinau is an essential dimension for the two states to be informed about what is happening at the border, in the Transnistrian region, in the Black Sea, but also in the airspace. We know very well that the Republic of Moldova does not possess such sophisticated defense systems. We now only have the operationalization of the radars purchased with the support of the European Union and France. Of course, the technical support that Romania provides, but also the logistical support, every time, including in participating in international missions, is essential,” said Laurențiu Pleșca.

The public debate entitled “Romania-Republic of Moldova, extension of cooperation in the military field” was the 10th installment of the project “Double integration through cooperation and information. Continuity”, funded by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova. The content of this debate does not represent the official position of the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova.