Moldovan FM announces plans to strengthen NATO ties

Moldovan Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Nicu Popescu has announced his country's plans to strengthen ties with NATO.

He made the remarks during a briefing on October 4 to comment on Chisinau's readiness to apply for NATO membership, Interfax reports.

"Moldova will honour its neutrality status as written in its constitution but will simultaneously develop closer ties with NATO," Popescu said.

The minister added that Moldova's neutrality does not equal isolation but quite the contrary.

"It is necessary to invest in opportunities for the defence of our country. […] Everything will be transparent and we will elaborately disclose what the strengthening of such ties and defence will entail," he said.

Popescu stressed the fact that his country will strengthen ties with those partners, that respect the independence, territorial integrity and democracy in Moldova, such as the USA, UK, EU and NATO.