By Alexander Tanas
CHISINAU (Reuters) – The Parliament in ex-Soviet Moldova, controlled by pro-Western lawmakers, approved a 10-year defence strategy on Thursday calling for increased defence spending as part of a plan to join the European Union.
The chamber’s pro-Russian opposition ridiculed the document as pointlessly directed against Moscow in view of Moldova’s small land mass and armed forces.
The document, presented by Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii, aims to boost defence spending by 2030 to 1% of gross domestic product, with figures showing increases already being put into place.
“The first step to implementing this was taken after the war in Ukraine started, by increasing budget resources for defence to 0.39% in 2022 and 0.55% in 2023,” the document said.
One of Europe’s poorest countries, lying between Ukraine and EU member Romania, Moldova is a candidate to join the EU, with a membership date set for 2030. It is not considering joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as the country’s neutral status is set down in its constitution.
The document says Moldova’s neutral status requires it to boost partnerships with different countries and international organisations to strengthen its national defence.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has jolted Moldova as drone fragments land on its territory and missiles aimed at Ukrainian targets pass through its airspace.
Pro-Western President Maia Sandu, re-elected to a second term last month, though by a smaller margin than anticipated, has accused Russia of trying to unseat her government.
Members of the pro-Moscow Socialist Party dismissed the document as meaningless.
“If, God forbid, we are subject to an attack from the direction of the Russian Federation, how long do you think Moldova will resist such aggression?” Socialist member Adrian Albu asked the minister.
“Simply because we are shouting from a rostrum?”
The document cites risks of the Ukraine conflict spreading, particularly around the Black Sea port of Odesa close to Moldova’s border.
(Reporting by Alexander Tanas; Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Richard Chang)
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