Moldova and Romania have signed a plan for cooperation in the field of defense for 2023, according to the Moldovan military department.
⠀
The document was signed during the eighth meeting of the joint Moldovan-Romanian military commission, which was held in the Romanian city of Targu Mures.
⠀
“The eighth meeting of the joint Moldovan-Romanian military commission ended with the official signing of the bilateral cooperation plan for 2023,” the ministry’s website said.
⠀
According to the Ministry of Defense, the commission discussed such topics as the modernization of the defense institution, the promotion of international peace and security, education, military training, political research on defense and military history, as well as increasing interoperability within the framework of joint activities and international peacekeeping missions.
⠀
Earlier, a contingent of the National Army of Moldova was sent to Romania to participate in the Saber Guardian 2023 (SG23) maneuvers under the auspices of the US Army in Europe (USAREUR). The maneuvers lasted from May 29 to June 9 simultaneously at military training grounds in the Romanian counties of Constanta, Ialomitsa, Brasov, Galati, Braila and Tulcea. About 10 thousand military personnel from 13 allied and partner countries participated in SG 23 – Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Moldova, Montenegro, the United States of America, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands.
⠀
According to the constitution of Moldova, the republic has a neutral status, but since 1994 the country has been cooperating with NATO within the framework of an individual partnership plan. The information center of the alliance operates in the capital of Moldova, and in December 2017, a NATO liaison office was opened in Chisinau. Nevertheless, public opinion polls show that more than 60% of the Moldovan population opposes the country’s rapprochement with NATO.
