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Andrei Stratan, Foreign Minister of Moldova, characterizes his country's relationship with the USA as "intense." (Photo: NATO)

CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times / Moldpres) - Moldovan Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan says that the United States of America is Moldova's most important foreign partner in a wide range of spheres ranging from political to military. In this interview, he reveals that Moldova participates in NATO activities with no financial expense because the United States pays the bills.

Stratan also calls the cooperation with Washington "intense" and says that "we rely on USA's support." The reliances is not just political, but economical too: According to Stratan, half of all Moldova's foreign aid now comes from the United States. The American aid props up Moldova's government. Without this aid, Moldova - Europe's poorest country - would not be able to survive as an independent state.

This interview was first published in full by Moldpres, the official state news agency of Moldova.

Relations with the United States of America have become visibly more dynamic. We would like you to refer to Moldova's most pertinent achievements in its relations with this country of utmost importance on the international stage.

" - The United States was one of the first countries which recognized Moldova's independence, established diplomatic relations with our country on 28 February 1992, and opened a permanent diplomatic mission in Chisinau short after that. On this relatively short period, as you said, we have managed to jointly carry out many important things. It is important to recall that the USA has been and remains one of Moldova's most reliable partners in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process and the most consistent supporter of the economic and democratic reforms in Moldova. We have managed to ensure a more and more active participation of the international community in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process namely with the important support of our American partners.
The United States became the principal technical assistance donor, with a share of about 50 percent of all the foreign assistance given to Moldova."

You mean Moldova's admission to the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Programme?

" - Moldova's participation in the Millennium Challenge Programme opens a new chapter in the Moldovan-American bilateral relations. The invitation to the programme itself shows a high degree of reliability of the current Moldovan government for the policies of promoting democratic values and economic reforms. At the same time, the progress the country has made while implementing this far-reaching programme, launched following an initiative by President George Bush in 2004, allows gradually advancing in our dialogue with the United States towards a sustainable partnership."

Could you refer to the outcomes of the Moldovan-American cooperation through the light of the benefits for the Moldovan ordinary citizens?

" - Moldova's entire population benefits from the assistance given by the United States."

The USA laid the foundations to the North Atlantic Treaty, which launched the PfP initiative, and which is now, undoubtedly, one of the most influential Allies. How can you characterize Moldova's relations with the USA from the viewpoint of our country's relations with NATO?

" - The decision Moldova took in the summer of 2005 to adopt an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) boosted the Moldovan-American bilateral political and military relations.

Naturally, the dialogue in this field is as old as the bilateral relations. For several years, Moldova has been benefiting from considerable assistance meant to edify its armed forces. Here, I would certainly name the International Military Education and Training (IMET) Programme meant for training the military staff, the assistance given through the Warsaw Initiative, which would allow our servicemen to participate in PfP activities without Moldova's financial involvement, the so-called Joint Contact Team Programme (JCTP), in which we have been participating since 1999, and other programmes that Moldova has chosen."

How has USA's role developed in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process, and which are the prospects in this respect?

" - USA's participation in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process has gradually evolved. I ascertain with satisfaction that, over the last time, USA's role in the country's reunification process shifted to a qualitatively new level. We have always kept in touch with the American partners, but after the USA had joined the process of political negotiations on the conflict's settlement, these bilateral ties turned into a permanent dialogue with more issues on the agenda.

Presently, I have no reservation when saying that the USA is a reliable partner and an active supporter of Moldova's territorial integrity. The position the U.S. representatives have expressed at the negotiating table is often the closest to the Moldovan delegation's positions. At this point, I would like to appreciate the constructive role played by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador David Kramer in the 5+2 negotiations. In this respect, I underline that the USA is the most consistent and the prime supporter of the need to implement for good the decisions of the 1999 OSCE Summit in Istanbul with regard to the full withdrawal of the Russian military troops from Moldova.

I am sure that our intense cooperation with the USA will continue and will develop. We still have much to do, and we rely on USA's support."

See also:
» Andrei Stratan: "There are no secret plans or other documents" [1]