NATO delegation, at the Ministry of Defense

CHISINAU, August 14, 2019- The State Secretary of Ministry of Defense, Aurel Fondos, and the commander of the National Army, brigadier general Igor Gorgan, met with a delegation of the North Atlantic Alliance, led by Vice-Admiral Colin Kilrain, Commander of the Special Operations Forces Command NATO (NSHQ).

The officials discussed the cooperation on the defense dimension and the assistance offered by the allied countries for the development and modernization of the National Army.

The parties referred, in particular, to reforms in the National Army, including the Special Forces, and the Alliance`s contribution to achieving them.

Another aspect of the meeting focused on the implementation of programs and projects with the support and expertise of representatives from allied and partner countries, including the Defense Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI).

Also, those present at the meeting reviewed the opportunities for training and development of the National Army personnel, mentioning, in this regard, the cooperation and interoperability between the Moldovan, Romanian and American military in the multinational exercises "Joint Combined Exchange Training" (JCET) and Agile Hunter, as well as the need to step up participation in joint trainings both local and abroad.

In the end, the officials agreed on further cooperation between the North Atlantic Alliance and the National Army, through new assistance projects.

It should be noted that the NATO delegation visits Moldova in the period of August 13-15. The work agenda includes meetings with the National Army Command Corps, as well as with the staff of “Fulger” Special Battalion, that aims to become familiar with the activity and endowment of the unit.