Two American congressmen say the USA to back Moldova's EU integration

Chisinau, 15 October /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova must take every effort to carry out the set reforms and the National Army should be an example for other state institutions. A member of the United States Congress, Duncan D. Hunter, made statements to this effect at a today's meeting with Defence Minister Anatol Salaru.  

Duncan D. Hunter and his colleague Mark Sanford reiterated that the USA would back Moldova's European integration and would provide the needed assistance on various dimensions. In this context, the congressmen emphasised the strategic role of the army in the society, stressing that the citizens' trust in the National Army had increased on the last period.  

For his part, Defence Minister Anatol Salaru specified that, in the present geopolitical and regional security contexts, the National Army needed to be modernised. "The main objective is to reform and re-organise the army, so that the latter is inter-operable  with the armies of the NATO member states," Salaru said. 

The defence minister thanked for the assistance provided by the USA to Moldova, under the agreement between the two countries and through the package Defence Capacity Building, which provides for support on behalf of NATO experts to reform the army. Also, the minister highlighted the importance of the possibility given to Moldovan officers to study at U.S. military institutions.   

Attending the meeting were U.S. Ambassador to Moldova James D. Pettit, the American defence attache in Moldova and other officials of both sides. 

(Reporter V. Rusu, editor M. Jantovan)