The International Day of UN Peacekeeping Troops was marked at the Ministry of Defense (video)

CHISINAU, May 29, 2023 — The International Day of UN Peacekeeping Troops was celebrated today at the Ministry of Defense.

During a ceremony held on this occasion, the Minister of Defense Anatolie Nosatîi declared that the Republic of Moldova has supported and will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations Organization for peacekeeping, asserting itself, over time, as a contributor to peacekeeping and global stability.

“Since 2003, Moldovan soldiers have been present in Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Georgia, Kosovo and the USA. Their performance was excellent. Appreciations come from the leaders of international teams, mission commanders, representatives of the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations, but also from ordinary citizens of the states where they acted as military observers. Their performances demonstrate that the National Army has well-trained soldiers for any kind of mission and that both women and men can contribute equally to maintaining peace in countries torn by conflicts and humanitarian crises,” said Anatolie Nosatîi.

Minister Nosatîi added that one of the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Defense is to increase participation in international peacekeeping operations. “We will continue to participate in peacekeeping operations with trained soldiers, because we want to contribute to maintaining peace and stability at the international level, and thus promote the image of the Republic of Moldova and the National Army abroad,” the official said.

For his part, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Organization (UN) in the Republic of Moldova, Simon Springett, appreciated the performance of the National Army soldiers in the UN peacekeeping operations in which they participated for 20 years. “I wish to express my gratitude for the contribution of the Republic of Moldova to the UN peacekeeping efforts, including the recent deployment of a contingent of the National Army to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The support of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the officers, military personnel, civilians and experts who have taken part or will take part in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN are of immense value not only to the UN, but most importantly to the men, women and conflict-affected children,” said Simon Springett.

During the event, a group of soldiers, participating in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN, received distinctions from the National Army.

Also, those present held a minute of silence in memory of the soldiers, policemen and civilians who died on duty in international missions.

It should be noted that until now, about 200 Moldovan officers have been deployed as military observers in Georgia, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Kosovo and the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations ( DPKO) from New York, USA.

Currently, 11 National Army soldiers, four of whom are women, are on peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the UN in South Sudan, Central African Republic, Kosovo and DPKO (USA). At the same time, another 32 officers, sergeants and soldiers are in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.