All news

Moldova's leader plans to cancel agreement on establishing NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau

Moldova’s president says despite a strong "pro-NATO" propaganda, the majority of Moldova’s population does not want the country to joint NATO
Moldova’s President Igor Dodon Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS
Moldova’s President Igor Dodon
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Moldova’s President Igor Dodon plans to cancel the agreement on establishing a NATO Liaison Office in the country’s capital of Chisinau. While speaking to Russia’s RT channel, he said that "I will work to cancel this agreement."

In addition, the Moldovan president said he was going to meet with heads of NATO countries in Brussels in early February. According to Dodon, during the upcoming meeting, he would like to "find out whether the alliance members are ready to uphold and sign an agreement that would ensure Moldova’s neutral status."

Dodon also said that despite a strong "pro-NATO" propaganda, the majority of Moldova’s population does not want the country to joint NATO. "We will block any (NATO’s infiltration) attempts as well as prevent any dubious joint military exercises," he added.

In late November 2016, Moldova’s prime minister and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg signed an agreement on establishing a NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau. The document was later ratified by the country’s parliament.

According to its constitution, Moldova is a neutral state and is not a member of any military blocs, however, a number of politicians in Chisinau believe that this should not prevent the country from cooperating with NATO in accordance with an individual partnership plan envisaging that NATO experts advise the Moldovan military. The country, in turn, supports NATO’s peacekeeping missions by providing troops. An Information and Documentation Centre on NATO is in operation in Moldova.