Moldovan Parliament Speaker Rejects Opposition Criticism of Military Deal with Ukraine

Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu on 29 October rejected opposition demands to immediately publish the text of an agreement with Ukraine on military-technical cooperation. He accused the opposition of trying to blow up a scandal and promised the document would be released. The dispute shows how openly Moldova, which borders war-torn Ukraine, is handling decisions on security cooperation with its neighbour.

Opposition demands

The Party of Socialists (PSRM) and Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban had earlier called for the text to be published. Ceban said the cyberattacks had pushed this very important topic into the background and demanded that the document be released at once so people would know what the authorities had signed. He said the fate of the country was at stake.

Grosu's response

Grosu replied that all such agreements are eventually published. In his words, this is the transparency of the decision-making process: people can see a document while it is with the government and when it reaches parliament. He also suggested the opposition wants to report to Russia about the agreement as quickly as possible, and advised them to follow the official government and parliament websites, where the document will appear.

What the agreement covers

Moldova and Ukraine concluded the military-technical cooperation agreement on 26 October. The document will let the two countries exchange experience in this area and use technological solutions developed and tested by Ukraine for protecting airspace.

Moldovan Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii rejected the opposition's criticism, which accused the authorities of violating neutrality. He stressed that the document does not provide for direct military assistance and that its main aim is to protect the population and the country's airspace.