16:57 | 16.03.2015 Category: Official

Chisinau, 16 March /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici on visit to Brussels today, visited the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Headquarters, where he met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After the meeting, the two officials held a joint press conference, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

The high officials discussed the current state and prospects of the Moldova-NATO cooperation, reviewed progress in the implementation of the Moldova-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan and identified opportunities of providing assistance in reforming the security sector, defence and modernisation of the National Army. The sides exchanged opinions on the agenda of Moldova's European integration, political and security developments in the country and region.

Prime Minister Gaburici reiterated Moldova’s interest in opening a NATO office in Chisinau, which would facilitate the political dialogue and cooperation between Moldova and NATO.

The prime minister spoke out for cooperation with NATO member and partner states in cyber defence, management of emergency situations, including within the Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, as well as the need to complete the Project on the evacuation and destruction of expired pesticides in Moldova.

The NATO Secretary General welcomed the Moldovan authorities’ willingness to deepen bilateral relations and reconfirmed NATO’s support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. "The NATO member states have always supported Moldova with regard to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), demanding the withdrawal of Russian forces from Moldova", said the official.

Jens Stoltenberg highly appreciated Moldova’s contribution to NATO’s operations with United Nations (UN) mandate in Kosovo, within which Moldovan soldiers have the opportunity to enhance their professional skills and capabilities of interoperability for peacekeeping.

The NATO Secretary General accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici to visit Moldova.

(Editor M. Jantovan)