USA to help Moldova promote defense reforms
The United States will be helping the Government of Moldova and the National Army in consolidating democracy and reforming the defense system, stated general Joe Ramirez, deputy chief of the planning and policies department of the U.S. European Command, during his visiting the Moldovan Ministry of Defense.
The high guest held negotiations with high ministerial officials to define priorities of the U.S. assistance to the Moldovan armed forces.
He assured Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta that the Government and National Army of Moldova may count on the U.S. European Command's support, and that the American side is open to Moldova and stands ready to help implement the military reform.
General Ramirez said the United States value the participation of the Moldovan military, particularly engineers, in the ongoing post-war humanitarian mission in Iraq.
Minister Marinuta said people are the chief treasure of the National Army, and their training within the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is an essential contribution to the military reform.
He underscored a number of Moldovan officers have recently received a higher military education in the United States, and upon coming back home were given positions in the National Army and in Alexandru cel Bun Military Institute in Chisinau to teach cadets in conformity with international standards.
The parties discussed also possibilities of cooperation to development the capacities of the 22nd peacekeeping battalion.
Infotag's dossier: The Republic of Moldova, having a population of under 4 million, is sandwiched between the two huge countries it only borders - Romania (with a population of nearly 25 million) and Ukraine (about 53 million). Moldova's armed forces currently number about 9 thousand people, including administrative, technical and auxiliary staffs, which is fewer than the size of one regular full-size division. Despite this, the 'incomplete division' has its own minister of defense, ministry of defense, general headquarters, several generals and many commissioned officers, educational institutions etc.
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