NATO’s Political Committee travelled to Chișinău for the first time on 25 – 26 August, holding talks with Moldova’s leadership ahead of the country’s Independence Day.
The committee met President Maia Sandu and held a working session with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, State Secretary Valeriu Mija and National Security Adviser Stanislav Secrieru, NATO reported on Friday.
Members also visited Moldova’s Ministry of Defence and attended a demonstration of military equipment donated through NATO and bilateral support.
The chair of NATO’s Political Committee, Tanya Hartman, said the trip was “an example of our growing relationship, our intensified political and practical cooperation”, and described the visit as a “testament of our enduring support to Moldova’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.”
Talks focused on “current priorities” in the NATO – Moldova partnership and on ways to support Moldova as it faces “regional security challenges."
What the NATO Political Committee does
The Political Committee is an advisory body to the North Atlantic Council — NATO’s main political decision-making forum — and discusses political and regional developments of interest to Allied countries, NATO said.
NATO added Allies welcomed Moldova’s reforms and efforts to strengthen its “resilience”, as well as its participation in KFOR, the Alliance’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
The Alliance said it supports Moldova in modernising its defence institutions and strengthening resilience through initiatives including an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme and an enhanced Defence Capacity Building Package, based on Moldova’s requests and “in full respect” of its constitutional neutrality.
