Moldavian Defence Minister: Military Cooperation with Russia is Top Priority in Republic's Foreign Policy

Military cooperation with Russia is one of the top priorities in the Republic's foreign policy.

This was disclosed on Monday by Moldavian Defence Minister Brigadier General Viktor Gaichuk in his interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

According to him, military cooperation with Russia is of high importance for Moldavia, because Russia has a vast experience in the sphere of military construction, as well as in the sphere of peacekeeping operations.

The position of neutrality, which is stated in the Constitution, does not allow the army of the Republic to enter various military blocs and organisations, but does not mean "self-isolation", Gaichuk said.

"We have the right to sign bilateral agreements on cooperation, including the military sphere," the Minister noted.

According to him, the proper agreements have been already reached with 30 countries of the world.

The Moldavian Army has been recently reduced by 1,300 people and at the present day has 7,200 servicemen, Gaichuk said.

At the present moment, according to various bilateral agreements, Moldavian officers undergo training in Russia, Germany, France, Greece, Ukraine and the USA, Gaichuk said. In the nearest future the training sessions will be completed by military detachments oriented to the participation in international operations for the support of peace in accordance with the obligations within the framework of the "Partnership for Peace" program.