Visit of Minister of Defense Anatol Salaru at “Sea Breeze 2016”

CHISINAU, July 25, 2016 — “Today, the cooperation between NATO countries and non-NATO partners from Eastern Europe is an absolute necessity. Without NATO’s support, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova will not be able to resist the hybrid war attempting to destabilize the Eastern Europe”. The statement was made by Minister of Defense Anatol Salaru at the opening ceremony of the active stage of the exercise “Sea Breeze 2016” held in Odessa, Ukraine.

During the visit, Anatol Salaru met with Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak. The dialogue was centered on the regional situation and the military cooperation.

Anatol Salaru expressed his gratitude for the opportunity offered to National Army service members to participate in “Sea Breeze”, mentioning that this is an example of interoperability and cooperation between NATO members and their partners.

The Minister also reiterated the importance of strengthening the bilateral relations, in order to be able to face the regional situation challenges. Anatol Salaru highlighted the fact that a major issue faced by the Republic of Moldova is the Russian Federation troops that are illegally stationed in the Eastern districts of the country, a problem mentioned at the Summit in Warsaw.

Stepan Poltorak confirmed the availability to consolidate the bilateral relations and to invite National Army soldiers to other exercises, alongside Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian Defense Minister said that the participation in such exercises is an opportunity to improve the interoperability and to exchange experience, which is an advantage for both countries.

While in Ukraine, Minister of Defense Anatol Salaru also met with the 40 National Army service members participating in “Sea Breeze 2016”.