Meetings with NATO Experts at the Ministry of Defense

CHISINAU, June 27, 2017 — Deputy Defense Minister Gheorghe Galbura and State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Aurel Fondos met today with a group of NATO experts who are paying an official visit to the Republic of Moldova within June 26-28, 2017.

According to the State Secretary, the discussions were focused on the current stage of the defense cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and NATO, how to approach the challenges of the planning and implementation process of the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Plan (regarding the Ministry of Defense and National Army), as well as the identification of necessities that would ensure the accomplishment of Moldova’s international commitments, through the cooperation with NATO.

Gheorghe Galbura thanked the experts for the assistance within the Defense Capacity Building Initiative, which is a priority of the Ministry of Defense aiming to the National Army’s reformation and modernization. The Defense Deputy Minister also informed the experts about the social-political situation in the region, as well as about the strategic documents developed so far by the defense institution.

The head of the NATO experts group, Brigadier Gen. Reinhard Kloss, Assistant Chief Of Staff of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFCN), mentioned the availability of the North Atlantic Alliance to continue to support the National Army through trainings for NCOs and officers, expertise, and participation of Moldovan service members in international exercises, and highly appreciated the performance of the peacekeepers from the Republic of Moldova within the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

While in Chisinau, the NATO experts met with representatives of Directorates and structures of the Ministry of Defense and General Staff and discussed the cooperation programs between the Republic of Moldova and NATO.