Moldova signs security and defense pact with EU

Moldova signed a security and defense partnership with the European Union on Tuesday — the first non-EU country to form such an agreement.

The partnership will “enhance the country’s resilience” and allow the EU and Moldova to “jointly address common security challenges, make our engagement more effective and explore new areas of cooperation,” the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said.

The Moldovan foreign affairs ministry described the partnership as “an umbrella arrangement for all interactions between the Republic of Moldova and the EU.”

The partnership will result in EU assistance for strengthening Moldova’s resilience, integrated border management and Chișinău will participate in EU crisis management missions, the statement said.

The agreement will also facilitate cooperation in areas of cybersecurity and combating disinformation, as well as assistance for Moldova’s defense sector via the European Instrument for Peace.

Earlier in March, Moldova and France signed a deal to boost military cooperation, paving the way for training the country’s armed forces amid fears of Russian attacks.

Moldova, which is not a member of either the EU or the NATO military alliance, has been a vocal critic of Russia since Moscow launched an all-out invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

Tensions between Moscow and Moldova have increased this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia after meeting the territory’s pro-Moscow leader.

Moldova has been an EU candidate country since 2022.