The Republic of Moldova has two main objectives, to ensure long-term peace in the region and save the lives of Ukrainian friends and neighbours, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Thursday in his speech at the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum.

In his intervention in the panel dedicated to the analysis of the impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in the Black Sea region, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova also showed that he encourages everyone to support Ukraine’s efforts.

„We appreciate the efficient operations of Ukraine in the Black Sea, now the Black Sea is much safer than 18 months ago and the commercial routes have been resumed,” stated Recean.

Dorin Recean also said that „although there is no direct armed threat to the Republic of Moldova, there is a hybrid war waged against us with the entire arsenal of the hybrid war – cyber attacks, paid protests, paid propaganda, false narratives.”

„That is why it is our responsibility to strengthen the defence capacity and to maintain security and to develop foreign affairs,” the prime minister mentioned.

Regarding the security situation in the Black Sea region and the steps taken by the Republic of Moldova to increase resilience in a very difficult context, Recean estimated that in the next 18-24 months there will be an active phase of Russian aggression against Ukraine, including in the Black Sea region, a fact that will put a lot of pressure on Moldova, both economically and from a security point of view.

„Our main goal is to strengthen our defence capacity and the ability to ensure security in the Republic of Moldova, including because we have illegally stationed Russian troops on the left side of the Dniester (…) The priority is anti-aircraft defence for critical infrastructure, such as the airport, the electrical distribution and natural gas supply systems,” said Dorin Recean.

AGERPRES