Tiraspol-Chisinau-Moscow, December 24. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The intensification of cooperation between Chisinau and NATO countries in the military and military-technical spheres is a factor that undermines the security of Moldova itself to a greater extent. This opinion was expressed in an interview with RIA Novosti by Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Michael Galuzin.
He commented on the recent statements by Nicu Popescu, Head of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Moldova, that Moldova needs to strengthen its defense capabilities and that Chisinau is counting on military cooperation with Romania, Germany, and France.
“As experience shows, the reckless pumping of a country with Western weapons or the deployment of NATO contingents on its territory does not at all add to its security and sovereignty, but, on the contrary, brings it closer to disaster,” Michael Galuzin noted.
He stressed that Moscow has repeatedly urged Chisinau to take a conscious approach "to the proposals imposed by the Westerners to 'increase defense capability'." According to the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, such proposals have nothing to do with maintaining peace and stability and resemble the "development of the territory" by the West.
“Despite this, the current Moldovan authorities demonstrate their intention to develop closer cooperation with Western countries in the military sphere. To this end, NATO instruments and mechanisms of the common security and defense policy of the EU are used. It is obvious that such steps undermine the neutral status enshrined in the constitution [of Moldova]," Michael Galuzin said.
He also added that Moscow is closely monitoring the development of relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol, including in the gas and energy sector.
It should be noted that this year the processes associated with the militarization of Moldova have sharply intensified. In early May, the Head of the European Council, Charles Michel, spoke about the EU's plans to provide military-technical assistance to Moldova. In June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Moldova would receive 40 million euros from the European Defense Fund to double its military budget. Overall, today, the funds that the EU allocated for the armament of Moldova in 2022 are already approaching the figure of 50 million euros. In addition, the desire to strengthen military cooperation with the Republic of Moldova was repeatedly stated by representatives of the United States and Great Britain.
Today, Moldova cooperates with NATO within the framework of an individual action plan for 2022-2023. An information center and a liaison office with the alliance operate in Chisinau.
On the territory of Moldova, military exercises are also regularly held with the participation of contingents of NATO countries. There were precedents when NATO equipment entered the Security Zone (the area of responsibility of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces of Russia, Pridnestrovie, and Moldova).
On November 29-30, Bucharest hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states, in which the Head of the MFAEI of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, also took part.
