Moldovan government preparing army to repel aggression — PM

Moldova’s government, with support from its partners, is preparing the country’s armed forces to counter possible military aggression, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on May 26 while presenting the government’s proposal to extend its emergency regime for 60 more days.

"We are consolidating the defense ministry’s capabilities. We have a lot of friends who help train our soldiers to build stable state institutions, so that as a society we can respond immediately when an aggressor decides to attack us," he said, not specifying, however, who this aggressor was, TASS reports.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said earlier that amid the Ukrainian crisis, Moldova could abandon its constitutional neutrality and join a military bloc. However, in her words, such a decision is to be made by citizens in a national referendum. Meanwhile, opinion polls indicate that the number of those opposing Moldova’s possible NATO membership has increased in recent months to more than 60%

Moldova is cooperating with NATO under an individual partnership plan. The alliance has an information center in Chisinau and opened a liaison office in 2017. Moldovan authorities’ plans to establish closer relations with NATO have been criticized in the unrecognized Transnistrian republic and the Gagauz autonomy.