Viorel Cibotaru
The diplomat specified that this process involves work at all levels: exchange of knowledge and information, improvement of the quality of defense and security activities, as well as promotion of bilateral relations in these areas.
“We are at a new stage of rethinking our relations with the North Atlantic Alliance. I believe that Moldova should strive for the status of a privileged partner, given our goal to join the European Union as soon as possible. EU member states such as Finland and Sweden had such a status, and it can be a path for Moldova as well. Today, the security of every European state depends to a large extent on the level of risks emanating from the Russian Federation. No one can exclude the fact that Russia has plans for enlargement, including by force, regardless of the arguments it presents. The example of Ukraine is very illustrative in this sense,” Cibotaru said in an interview with Veridica.md.
Speaking about what exactly this status means, the ambassador explained that it will provide access to important information for the country’s development in the defense and security sphere, as well as to technologies and additional resources. There are currently active discussions about directing significant funds both for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and for the development of the multi-dimensional South-North corridor, which starts in Greece, passes through Bulgaria, Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and then heads to the Baltic States and Northern Europe. This corridor includes energy projects, infrastructure, gas pipelines, transmission lines and other regional interconnection networks.
“Also discussed are new principles of military mobility, i.e. the ability of states to respond to different types of crisis situations, from natural disasters and fires to hostilities and armed conflicts. All this contributes to an ever deeper integration of the Republic of Moldova into the system of regional security and development. In fact, we are talking about synchronization with European processes. Moldova is currently negotiating for new security guarantees, and the privileged partner status could contribute to their strengthening,” Viorel Cibotaru added.
It is worth mentioning that Moldova is currently implementing 18 projects with a total budget of 120 million euros in partnership with NATO.
Recently, a Moldovan delegation of Dorin Recean, special presidential representative for development and sustainability, and Nicu Popescu, special representative for European affairs and strategic partnerships, held a string of meetings at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. The purpose of the visit was to deepen practical co-operation and strengthen national security in the face of current challenges.
