Chinese Ministry of Defense to Grant National Army Over 15 Million MDL

Beijing, September 13, 2012 — The Ministry of Defense of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will offer the National Army of the Republic of Moldova a grant of over 15 million MDL due to an agreement signed today in Beijing by the Chinese and Moldovan Defense Ministers Liang Guanglie and Vitalie Marinuta.

According to the PRC Minister of Defense, Liang Guanglie, the grant is a sign of a strong friendship and cooperation relationship existing between China and Moldova in different areas, including the defense system. “China conducts a peace-based defense cooperation policy with all the states of the world, including the Republic of Moldova. So far, we offered the Moldovan army three grants of about 15 million yuan (nearly 30 million MDL), they have been successfully used. We are confident that this aid will be used properly to support the reform and modernization of the Republic of Moldova army”, the Chinese official specified during the meeting with the Moldovan counterpart.

Liang Guanglie stated the technical aid provided to the Moldovan army is an important step in the development of the Moldovan-Chinese relations. “The Chinese Government will identify new aspects of multidimensional cooperation both, with the Republic of Moldova at the state level, and the Ministry of Defense in the military area”, Liang Guanglie stated.

Vitalie Marinuta thanked the Chinese army for the financial support provided. He pointed out all the granted aid had been used for the modernization and reform of a few sectors of the Moldovan defense institution. “Due to our partners’ support, we improved the communications, health and other divisions of the army. This grant will also be used for the implementation of some development projects of the National Army we started over the last period of time”, Marinuta said.

The previous Chinese grants awarded to the Ministry of Defense consisted of means of logistics and medical transport, computer and communications systems, equipment for video conferences, water clearing stations, medical equipment and others.

The Moldovan-Chinese defense cooperation is based on the agreement concluded by the two defense ministries June 23, 2002.