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Moldovan PM Pavel Filip : NATO liaison office will open in Chisinau this July
Moldovan PM Pavel Filip said on Thursday at the end of the joint Romania - Moldova government meeting in Piatra Neamt that a NATO liaison office will open in Chisinau this July. Premier Pavel Filip also reaffirmed support for the participation of the Moldovan army in NATO joint exercises carried out outside country borders.
"I said that the Republic of Moldova is a parliamentary country and the important decisions are taken by the government and Parliament. At the same time, we have the institution of the President who is also the commander-in-chief. We were faced with a less pleasant situation when the national army was unable to participate in the military exercises organized in Romania, under the NATO aegis. You are perfectly aware of President Igor Dodon's stance and his love towards NATO. We managed to sign an agreement with NATO and a NATO liaison office will open in Chisinau in July. Back then we had discussions with the President of the country and explained to him that most of the national forces' plan of activities related to training and exercises - that is about 80 percent - will take place outside the territory of the Republic of Moldova with the support of our NATO partners. The further refuse to participate in these exercises would mean the weakening of the national army, and it makes no logic when a commander-in-chief is complacent with the weakening of the National Forces. I believe this was the first and last time when this confusion occurred and that in the future the National Army of Moldova will participate in all applications. Even more than that, we should thank for this support with the training and exercises the Moldovan army participates in," said Prime Minister Pavel Filip.
A bilateral meeting of the governments of Romania and Moldova took place on Thursday in eastern Piatra Neamt.
Republic of Moldova President Igor Dodon has banned troops of the neighboring country to take part in February in a joint exercise on Romanian soil. In a joint message the Romanian and US ambassadors in Chisinau termed this attitude as "unfriendly" to both Romania and the US.
At the same time, in an interview in January with a Russian television, Igor Dodon announced his intention to cancel the agreement for the opening of a NATO liaison office in Chisinau.
It is important for the Rep. of Moldova to capitalise all opportunities offered by the NATO, on Thursday said in eastern Piatra Neamt the Romanian Prime Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, adding that such an opportunity is the NATO Office opened in Chisinau.
At the end of the joint reunion of the two countries' governments, when asked about the refusal by the president of the Rep. of Moldova to allow a contingent of troops of this country to participate in a joint exercise in Romania, Sorin Grindeanu answered that in the relationship with the neighbour country the main dialogue partner of the Romanian Government is the Moldovan Government.
"Today, our joint reunion's agenda also covered the defence domain. (...) The fact that currently (...) 800 troops and not only troops of the Rep. of Moldova were trained with our support is a good thing, it's a start," said the Romanian Prime Minister