“We have made it a goal at the Ministry of Defense to support the cause of the Republic of Moldova. We collaborate very well, and the visits I have made there, which have not been few, have strengthened my conviction that we are on the right path. This does not mean that we will stop. We will collaborate as much as we can. I know from our experience – and I speak as a parliamentarian as well – that EU accession is a difficult process, based on merit, and involves negotiations on many complicated chapters, and we are ready to offer our support. I am referring to political support because the Republic of Moldova deserves this support,” assured the Minister of National Defense in Bucharest, Angel Tîlvăr.
At the same time, Angel Tîlvăr mentioned that the Republic of Moldova is the subject of hybrid actions designed to destabilize it and divert it from its European path, which in his opinion, “is irreversible because it reflects not only the political will at the leadership level of the Republic of Moldova but also the will of its citizens.”
Regarding the inclusion of the Republic of Moldova in the recent Black Sea security document adopted by the US Senate, the minister stated that Romania also contributed to this, although “it would be arrogant on our part to say that it was exclusively Romania’s contribution.”
“Because, surely, at the level of decision-makers in Washington, they could not have failed to see that, in the overall picture of the region, Moldova occupies a very clear place. It is no less true, however, that Romania is currently the main advocate of the cause of the Republic of Moldova. We ourselves, whenever and in whatever format we are involved, never fail to mention the Republic of Moldova and how important it is, on the one hand, for the Republic of Moldova to become a member of the European Union,” Angel Tîlvăr mentioned.
It is worth mentioning that the United States Senate approved the US Defense Budget Authorization Act on July 27, 2023. The defense budget included the “Black Sea Security Act” through an amendment introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Mitt Romney.
With this move, the United States Senate confirms the critical geostrategic importance of the Black Sea region and paves the way for a new era of US engagement in the area.
The approved text includes the $886 billion requested by President Joe Biden for 2024, a 5.2% increase in military salaries, and provides $300 million in aid to Ukraine.
Additionally, according to the document, the Republic of Moldova has been included in the list of Black Sea states, along with Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Georgia, for which the US will develop a security assistance strategy.
The US Budget Bill approved by the Senate will continue to be mediated with the version of the law already approved in the House of Representatives during the month of September.
A similar Black Sea Security Act bill is also in the legislative procedure in the House of Representatives.