The Republic of Moldova and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will strengthen their cooperation in the field of defense (video)

CHIŞINĂU, April 11, 2024 — The Minister of Defense, Anatolie Nosatîi, received, today, at the headquarters of the defense institution, the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, E.S. Kajsa Ollongren, on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova.

On this occasion, the officials signed a bilateral document of intent that will strengthen the partnership between the defense institutions of the two states. Afterwards, the parties held a press briefing.

In his message, Minister Nosatîi mentioned that the meeting of Defense Minister Ollongren in Chisinau is an eloquent proof that the Kingdom of the Netherlands is one of our partners for whom the security and well-being of the Republic of Moldova, as a democratic country, matter. “We are grateful to you for standing by us in this difficult time for all of us, but also for the openness with which you responded to our proposals to strengthen our collaborative relations for a noble purpose — that of maintaining regional and international peace and security.” , said Anatolie Nosatîi, during the press briefing.

The agenda of the two ministers’ discussions covered topics of common interest, including: the current regional security situation, especially in the Black Sea basin, and the country’s strategic development objectives. During the dialogue, the officials also addressed issues related to bilateral military relations, as well as the contribution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the professional training of the National Army personnel within the educational programs and training courses in the Dutch specialized schools.

In this way, the Minister of Nosatîi thanked H.S. Kajsa Ollongren for the significant contribution to the support and promotion of the European vector of the Republic of Moldova on the international arena, consultancy in the field of cyber security, the involvement and assistance of Dutch experts in the conduct of joint military exercises, as well as for the support provided within the Defense Capabilities Consolidation Initiative projects of the Republic of Moldova (DCBI).

" We want defense capabilities to European standards, to fulfill our constitutional missions, to contribute to international peacekeeping efforts and, at the same time, to become resilient to the hybrid challenges facing our country. It is a commitment that the Ministry Defense and assumed it from the very beginning and to which we pay increased attention. We are glad that the Netherlands is among our reliable partners who offer us assistance in this direction as well“, declared Anatolie Nosatîi.

The Minister of Defense highlighted the importance of the bilateral document of intentions signed during the visit, specifying that it supports joint efforts to strengthen collaborative relations between the institutions of the two countries and, respectively, serves as a basis for the subsequent conclusion of the actual Cooperation Agreement in the field of defense. “By strengthening our cooperative relations, we contribute together not only to the improvement of the situation in terms of defense and security, but also to the creation of a stable, safe and prosperous environment for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. We continue to count on the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in achieving these objectives”, added Minister Nosatîi.

In turn, E.S. Kajsa Ollongren noted: “This morning, we discussed the cooperation between the National Army of the Republic of Moldova and that of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We signed a bilateral letter of intent on strengthening our cooperation, which we consider an important step. We will continue to develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation, in particular through the European Union. In this sense, we welcome the recent approval of the 4th assistance package from the European Union, within the framework of the European Instrument for Peace, for the Republic of Moldova. The Kingdom of the Netherlands supports this decision and will continue to provide support in this regard in the future,” said Minister Ollongren.

“We know that the Republic of Moldova is currently facing hybrid threats from the Russian Federation. That’s why we discussed the deployment of an EU rapid response team to hybrid threats. Cyber security is a key element, especially in ensuring fair, free and secure elections, which will soon take place in the Republic of Moldova. I also mentioned that we will intensify cooperation with the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM) and they will provide financial support of 4 million euros to increase the resilience of the state institutions of the Republic of Moldova”, added the official.

At the end, Minister Kajsa Ollongren appreciated the constructive discussions.