About this stated Elena Myrzak, a security and defense strategic communication specialist and director of the Platform for Security and Defense Initiatives (PISA), said in an interview with RFI.
She notes that the security and defense relationship with the EU is “unprecedented,” and Chisinau has realized that it “cannot do everything alone.
Elena Myrzak told RFI about the findings of the study, “Strengthening Democratic Resilience in the Eastern Partnership: Comparative Perspectives from Moldova, Ukraine, and Armenia,” conducted by PISA with partners from Ukraine and Armenia. According to the study, hybrid threats become particularly dangerous when they are intertwined with internal vulnerabilities such as social polarization, distrust of institutions, or democratic fragility.
The security specialist argues that European integration represents an “anchor” for states under external pressure:
“The common thread of this study was that European integration and cooperation with the European Union represent an anchor, a legitimization of state functioning. This is the direction in which all these countries are moving”.
Speaking about Moldova, Elena Myrzak says that the current level of cooperation with Western partners is unprecedented:
“Moldova is now at a level of security and defense cooperation with NATO, the European Union and states such as the United States, France, Great Britain, Poland or the Baltic states that it has never had before.”
She emphasizes that the war in Ukraine and Moldova’s geostrategic position have accelerated the strengthening of defense capabilities:
“It has become clear that the Republic of Moldova must be a reliable partner and a state capable of facing threats on its own, given its neutral status.”
“The Republic of Moldova is the only state with a dedicated partnership with the EU in this field and the second non-European state after Ukraine in terms of investments and projects financed by the European Union.”
Elena Myrzak states that the authorities in Chisinau have started to respond to hybrid threats in a more organized manner, including by creating new institutions:
“We created the Center for Strategic Communication and Fighting Disinformation because we have disinformation, manipulative discourse and lack of social cohesion. After the cyberattacks, we adjusted legislation and created the Center for Cybersecurity.”
She believes that the state cannot deal with external pressures and internal crises alone:
“I also realize that state institutions cannot function alone. They cannot reach all citizens in such a polarized society. That is why the state is trying to work more closely with civil society and the media to build a whole-of-society response.”
According to her, the changes of recent years have been accelerated because of the series of crises that Moldova has experienced:
“Five or ten years ago, the situation was completely different. Today we are learning to find answers through a series of crises,” said Elena Myrzak.
