Moldovan government discusses national security, fighting organised crime

Chisinau, 18 February /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Pavel Filip today summoned a meeting of the council of coordinating activities to prevent and fight the organised crime, in order to discuss the present situation in this regard, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported. 

Pavel Filip expressed wish to give an impetus to meetings in this format, stressing that they had not been held for almost two years. In this context, the prime minister highlighted the importance of the Council’s work, taking into account the current situation in Moldova, when the society does not feel safe because of more factors, such as financial, social and political instability.   

“We face a situation when we must cope with more challenges. I am sure that, only by a close cooperation between the state’s institutions, by combating and preventing economic offences, we will manage to regain the citizens’ trust and ensure an improvement in their living standards,” the prime minister said.  

The participants in the meeting heard a report on the previous work of the Council. Thus, Interior Minister Alexandru Jizdan presented a report on the situation concerning the economic, cyber and cross-border criminality, with the involvement of organised criminal groups from Moldova. Jizdan noted that an increase in the number of offences in 2015 against 2014 had been recorded, particularly of thefts from cash dispensers and causing damages to banking institutions. 

“The government’s action programme pays increased attention to fighting the criminal element. At the same time, by the signing of the Moldova-European Union Association Agreement and following the liberalization of the visa regime with EU, Moldova took the commitment to ensure protection at the border checkpoints. I am sure that, if we consolidate forces to create a common team between institutions, we will manage a lot in a short period of time,” Pavel Filip also said.  

As for the cyber attacks on state’s institutions, the participants in the meeting stressed the need to create a mechanism of cooperation between the Interior Ministry, Security and Intelligence Service and Prosecutor General’s Office, with the involvement of specialists in the information sector, in order to work out policies for preventing and fighting this kind of offences.   

(Editor M. Jantovan)