National Army to Get 1,6 million USD Through GPOI Initiative

Chisinau, August 30, 2012 — The National Army will get 1,6 million USD grant through the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI), officials of the US Department of State and US Department of Defense stated during the meetings with Defense Minister Vitalie Marinuta, who visited Washington upon completion of the course “Senior Executives in National and International Security”, organized at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, USA.

According to the Minister of Defense, the money will be used for the development of the training infrastructure of National Army units for peacekeeping operations. “These financial means will be mostly used to change Bulboaca Military Training Ground into a Training Center for Peacekeeping Operations meant both, for National Army units, as well as for the contingents of our partners we will work together during different missions”, Vitalie Marinuta specified.

Minister Vitalie Marinuta met with Kathleen Hicks, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Daniel A. Russell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, to discuss about the cooperation in the security and defense areas between the Republic of Moldova and the United States of America, problems of regional and international security, including the possibility to build some joint projects in term of participation in UN-led peacekeeping operations mutually profitable for both states, as well as for the world community.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the USA, Igor Munteanu, also attended at the meetings.

During the visit to Washington district held August 27-29, Vitalie Marinuta visited the US National Defense University and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization HQ and met with the leaders of the institutions and the teaching staff. In both institutions, the Defense Minister attended some academic discussions on the current situation and perspective of development in our country and in the neighbourhood.

Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta attended August 12-26 the course “Senior Executives in National and International Security”, organized at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, USA.