Security Pact between the Republic of Moldova and the EU

The Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population, signed a security and defense pact with the European Union.

Bogdan Matei, 22.05.2024, 13:50

All military experts and political analysts say about the Republic of Moldova that it is Ukraine’s neighbor most seriously affected by the Russian invasion. In solidarity with the authorities in Kyiv, which are trying to resist the invaders, and host to many Ukrainian refugees, Chişinău has become, in turn, a target for the Russians. All the elements of a hybrid war, such as false bomb alerts, cyber-attacks, illegally financed protests, energy blackmail, are the challenges that the Internal Affairs system must face, the former minister of internal affairs in the pro-Western government, Ana Revenco told Radio Chișinău. Pro-war propaganda, she added, incitement to hatred, disinformation, parts of the same hybrid war, are meant to weaken the resilience of citizens. ‘There are already certainties that Russia is now using more and much more intensively the levers by which it tries to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova, not without the support of the fugitive oligarchs’ the former minister Revenco said.

Against this distressing background, the Republic of Moldova signed, on Tuesday, a security and defense pact with the European Union. Thanks to it, the signatories say, the collaboration between Chişinău and Brussels will be much closer and will offer the republic more tools to strengthen its security on multiple levels, including in the military field. The correspondent of Radio Romania in Brussels reports that, from now on, the Republic of Moldova can participate in the missions subordinated to the European policy for security and defense and will receive help to strengthen its military capabilities. Also, its soldiers will be integrated into the European rapid military deployment corps and will participate in joint exercises and training.

Another way of collaboration between the EU and Moldova is the so-called European Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, through which the member states can acquire and deliver military equipment. The cooperation between the two sides is also extended to the fields of hybrid attacks, disinformation and securing critical infrastructure and borders. Practically, commentators say, everything related to the security of the Republic of Moldova is now the object of the collaboration provided for in the pact. With the status of neutrality stipulated, three decades ago, in a constitution that many consider outdated, Chișinău has one of the least numerous and poorly equipped armies in Europe. But the Defense Minister, Anatolie Nosatîi, a career military, with training courses in the United States, promises to strengthen the army, in the context of the hybrid war waged by Russia. In an interview to the media from Bucharest, Nosatîi also spoke about cooperation in the military field with the European Union, NATO and neighboring Romania and insisted that the North Atlantic Alliance “is not the scarecrow that the Russian propaganda is talking about.”(LS)