MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. Transnistria's Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev has expressed concern over Moldova being armed with Western weapons amid the unresolved conflict in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"We can see that Moldova is being actively armed. <...> We are extremely concerned about this because Moldova is in a state of unresolved conflict with Transnistria. The only driver of stability is the peacekeeping operation, which preserves peace under these conditions," Ignatiev said.

According to him, the cooperation between Moldova and NATO has reached a "high level." "There are comprehensive global plans for cooperation with NATO. As of today, Moldova is essentially part of NATO's security system," the minister said. He pointed out that over the past year alone, 18 military exercises were held in Moldova in coordination with the alliance, while the US and Germany supply weapons and armored vehicles to Moldova.

According to the constitution, Moldova is a neutral country, but the current leadership claims an alleged military threat from Russia and advocates for increased cooperation with NATO. The opposition harshly criticizes the growth in the military budget amid the economic crisis and rising poverty levels.