British officials at the Ministry of Defense

CHISINAU, May 13, 2021 - Acting Defense Minister Victor Gaiciuc met today with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton.

The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Steven Fisher and the military attaché of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Republic of Moldova, Squadron Commander Robyn Hall.

During the dialogue, officials discussed the collaboration between the armies of the two states, as well as its prospects for intensification, while respecting the country`s neutral status.

Victor Gaiciuc mentioned that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has become one of the strategic partners of the Ministry of Defense as a result of an intense cooperation of over 20 years.

At the same time, the Minister of Defense thanked the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the support provided to the National Army through the donation of sanitary goods intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "I want to mention that, lately, the Moldovan-British partnership in the field of defense has seen an ascent, especially by offering more training, courses, and exchange of experience, studies, expertise, but also material and financial support for the Moldovan military. At the same time, I want to thank you for your support in the professional development of the lower officers of the National Army in the Royal Military Academy and the Royal College of the Air Force in the United Kingdom", said Minister Gaiciuc.

For her part, Wendy Morton stressed that the Government of her country is still available to provide the necessary support in areas of common interest.

Other topics discussed during the discussions included the implementation of the Professional Development Program, a project initiated by the Republic of Moldova under the Defense Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI), as well as the participation of the Republic of Moldova in KFOR international peacekeeping missions and the EU mission in Mali. Moldovan-British military cooperation was initiated in 1999.