Nicu Popescu, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Moldova, spoke with members of the French Ministry of Defense on defense cooperation and modernizing the army, Urdu Point reports.
Earlier, Anatolie Nosatii, the defense minister for the Republic of Moldova, announced that the defense budget will rise by 50% from 2022 to 2023, or upwards of $87 million. The corresponding modifications were approved in the first reading. The republic’s administration has made it clear time and time again that it wants to improve national defense capabilities and acquire the required arms.
In a meeting with a team from the French Defense Ministry, Nicu Popescu addressed defense cooperation as well as concerns relating to the reform of the Moldovan army.
Defense Minister Nosatii’s trip is a direct outcome of their Paris agreements with Sebastien Lecornu, their French counterpart. The summit intends to strengthen and broaden ties between France and Moldova, according to the Moldovan government.
The constitution declares Moldova to be a neutral nation. Chisinau has, nevertheless, been working with NATO since 1994 as part of the Partnership for a Peace initiative. The capital of Moldova houses a NATO information center. Since 2017, a bureau for communications with the alliance has been in operation.
Late last month, presidential security adviser Dorin Recean said that Moldova has to modify its military neutrality policy in light of Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Recean made his comments after three Russian-launched missiles struck targets in Ukraine last month while flying through Moldova.
Meanwhile, Popescu noted that Moldova’s neutrality does not, however, imply self-isolation, demilitarization, or indifference to international events, as he told reporters on the occasion of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
During the two-day gathering, NATO ministers committed to giving Moldova, Georgia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina more specialized help since, according to Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, these nations are under pressure from Russia due to Moscow’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
