Opening remarks

Prime Minister, welcome to NATO headquarters. It is a great honour and pleasure to have you here and to have conducted good and extensive talks on important issues related to relationship between NATO and Moldova.

Let me first congratulate you on your recent appointment as Prime Minister. 

I look forward to working together with you and your government.

Moldova is a valued partner of NATO.

And we stand by the right of all countries in Europe to make their choices when it comes to their foreign and security policy.

All NATO Allies support Moldova’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and respect Moldova’s constitutional neutrality.

In the past two years we have stepped up our dialogue and cooperation with Moldova.

Today we took next step in establishing a Defence Capacity Building Initiative for Moldova. This initiative will help your country modernize the defence and security sectors.

Moldova has also agreed to an impressive Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO.

We are committed to support Moldova in all reform areas it has chosen. 

Moldova is a neutral country, just like some of our most active partners in Europe.

Our partnership is about support for reforms, about training, about practical cooperation. 

We believe that developing our cooperation further will benefit both Moldova and NATO.

Through cooperation with NATO, Moldova can make its armed forces even more professional, and make a stronger contribution to peace.

Prime Minister, let me also thank you for Moldova’s contribution to the KFOR Mission in Kosovo.

Everything what you do shows that Moldova is a real contributor to peace and stability to develop the cooperation for the Euro-Atlantic security.

So once again welcome to NATO Headquarters.