CHISINAU, July 8. /TASS/. Igor Dodon, the ex-president of Moldova, said on Thursday the United States was secretly delivering weapons to his country.

"Several US Air Force planes have landed in Chisinau, loaded with unknown cargo. We have requested information via parliamentary channels, but were told that it is classified. <…> From unofficial sources, I learned that weapons are being delivered to Moldova," he told Publika TV.

"If weapons are delivered, they must be put to use. <…> Not against the West, of course, those weapons are intended to fire towards the East. They are arming Moldova for that purpose," the ex-president said.

Last week, the European Union announced it had adopted an assistance measure worth 40 million euro for Moldova provided by the European Peace Facility.

Moldovan Secretary of State in the field of Defense Policy, National Defense Planning and Military Interoperability Valeriu Mija said the assistance, combined with the previous 7-million-euro disbursement under the program, would allow to double the republic’s military budget. The armed forces modernization program envisages increasing the Moldovan army’s mobility, firepower and defense potential, he said.

The modernization of the country’s armed forces is also being implemented through NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI). The first stage was completed when the sides adopted Moldova’s national defense strategy and military strategy. The second stage envisages military assistance, including through the alliance’s special trust fund.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it doubted that those measures would strengthen Moldova’s security. It also believes that those developments would not be conductive to Transnistria peace talks.