Between the 23rd and the 26th of January, a group of experts from New Strategy Center, led by Mr George Scutaru, Director General of NSC, conducted a study visit to the Republic of Moldova, in order to better understand the political, social, economic realities. from a security and foreign relations perspective, in the current context of the war in Ukraine.

The NSC experts met with Moldovan officials and independent experts such as Mr Andrei Spînu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, an institution that also manages the energy sector, Ms Ana Revenco, Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Lilian Carp, Chairman of the National Security Committee of the Parliament, Mr Alexandru Musteața, Director of the Intelligence and Security Service, Mr Vladimir Cuc, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Mr. Valeriu Mija, State Secretary, Ministry of National Defence, Stephen Young, Country Manager, Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Sergiu Tofilat, Energy Security Expert, Iulian Groza, President of the Institute for European Reforms and Policies, Igor Munteanu, former Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the USA and President of the opposition party “Coalition for Unity and Welfare”.

The NSC delegation also travelled to Comrat to discuss with the local authorities of the Autonomous Territorial Unit (ATU) of Gagauzia, having a dialogue with Mrs Irina Vlah, the Bashkan of Gagauzia.

NSC believes that in this security context it is important to have a good understanding of the realities in the Republic of Moldova, of how the country is trying to build a greater resilience to the hybrid threats of the Russian Federation, of how it is responding to the multiple challenges, especially social and economic, generated by the energy crisis and by the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The security situation in Transnistria, the cooperation between the authorities in Chisinau and those in the ATU Gagauzia, institutional modernization in the Republic of Moldova, steps to build military capabilities, efforts to strengthen energy efforts, and bilateral relations with Romania were some of the topics on the agenda of NSC delegation’s documentation visit.

On the occasion of the visit to the Republic of Moldova, on the 24th of January, the NSC delegation laid a wreath at the Cemetery of Honour of the Romanian Soldiers in Tiganca, where 1020 heroes who fell in service in the battles for the liberation of Bessarabia in the summer of 1941 are buried.

New Strategy Center thanks the Romanian Ambassador in Chisinau, H.E. Cristian Țurcanu, and the staff of the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova for their significant support for this information visit.