During his trip to Chisinau on September 25, Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces, concluded with his counterpart a Letter of Intent aimed at strengthening defense cooperation between France and Moldova. This rapprochement comes at a time when the Republic of Moldova is directly impacted by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Bordering Ukraine for nearly 1,000 kilometers, the Republic of Moldova is located in a troubled regional environment. Independent since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, this country, which has 2.6 million inhabitants, is also faced with a territorial dispute due to the secession of Transnistria.
On September 25, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, went to Chisinau to meet his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatîi, and to demonstrate France’s support for Moldova. The two men laid the foundations for a defense agreement through the signing of a letter of intent aimed at strengthening cooperation between their countries and modernizing Moldova’s military capabilities. The document provides, among other things, for the training of Moldovan military personnel and support for the missions of the Ministry of Defense in the field of developing its capabilities, and with a view to possible acquisitions of defense equipment.
This rapprochement between the two countries is part of the broader framework of Moldova’s accession process to the EU. An approach supported by France since June 24, 2022. “France will continue to stand alongside the Moldovans in the face of any attempt at destabilization,” said Sébastien Lecornu.