Public lectures organized by the IDC on NATO in Balti, Cahul and Comrat
The Information and Documentation Centre on NATO in Moldova, together with the Centre for Investigative Journalism, held October on the 14th and 15th of October a series of meetings with students and representatives of civil society at three Moldovan universities in Balti, Cahul and Comrat; during these events several topics were discussed, such as the NATO perception in Moldova, the security issues in the region and the partnership between Moldova and NATO.
The events were attended by two NATO officers: James Mackey, Head of Integration, Partnership and Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Department and Krisztian Meszaros, an officer of the same department. Together with the local experts, they talked about the mission, the principles and values of NATO, the programs throughout the world that NATO supports, and the partnerships that this organization has with different countries. Another topic of discussion was the cooperation between NATO and Moldova, and the way NATO’s perception in Moldova has evolved 20 years after the establishment of the bilateral relation between the two actors. Experts have also referred to the security issues in Eastern Europe in the context of military actions that are taking place in Ukraine and the conflict in Transnistria.
At Balti State University, James Mackey said that NATO is an organization that is based on values, has an extensive network of partnerships with countries that it cooperates with in order to ensure security and increase protection. “NATO wants to share the same values with those who want to have security and protection. Today in the world there are many challenges that require international cooperation. These include cyber attacks and cyber crimes, drug trafficking and human trafficking, illegal arms trade. These scourges are affecting every country in the world, so it is necessary to exchange ideas and knowledge to see how to deal with this challenges. NATO is not and does not want to be global policeman, but it wants will do everything possible to ensure the safety of its members and partner nations “said the officer.
Krisztian Meszaros referred to the role of a free media as an important principle of the democracy in a country. He explained that the distorted perceptions of a good part of the population of Moldova on NATO is a phenomenon taking place because these people “are consumers of Russian media, is not free”. Krisztian Meszaros, who is in charge of NATO’s relationship with Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, referred to the partnership between NATO and Moldova: “The basis of our cooperation NATO’s respect towards the neutral status of Moldova. Neutrality does not mean passivity, and there are many things we do together. NATO is not concerned with looking for new members. Citizens are those who must decide if their country wants to join NATO. NATO does want to expand itself. NATO and EU enlargement have been successful in Eastern Europe, no other policy was better at stabilizing this region. Nothing more has contributed to the stability of Russia’s western borders than the decision to expand NATO and EU to Easter Europe. ”
The experts underscored the fact that NATO’s expertise and the pursuit of democratic reforms help Moldova in it’s fight against corruption, improve it’s relationship with neighbors, and help enhancing security and homeland defense. Currently, a contingent of Moldovan military is involved in the peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. “This participation turns Moldova from a consumer, to a provider of security,” said Krisztian Meszaros.
The students and civil society representatives were interested to find more about the NATO – Russia disagreement over Ukraine, the international sanctions imposed on Russia, and the possible options for solving the conflict the eastern districts of Moldova. The experts stressed that NATO is not a threat to Russia, but wants Russia to respect international rules, the sovereignty of the neighboring countries, and human rights.
“NATO was created to defend its members, Ukraine does not enjoy the same protection, but that does not mean that NATO is not supporting Ukraine. Ukraine is a member of the OSCE, and it is a European country that has sovereignty, independence and we support Ukraine through democratic initiatives and counseling. Russia must abide to its international obligations. Ukraine is the biggest challenge since the Cold War, “said James Mackey. He underscored the fact that Russia and NATO could work together to counter cyber crimes, trafficking of nuclear weapons and drugs.
Referring to the Russian sanctions by the international community, Krisztian Meszaros said that Russia must pay for breaching international norms: “The Russian leadership must realize that they have to pay for the actions they take, for sending troops in the territory of another country without its permission, for providing weapons to the rebels fighting the against the government, and also because it uses economic pressure by threatening to interrupt supplies of gas.”
Regarding Moldova, Meszaros said that “NATO can not help Moldova to sell its products, but what NATO can and do is to demonstrate solidarity – to support free choice of citizens of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. NATO can increase its involvement in military modernization and defense systems so that Moldova is able to protect itself. ”
On October 15th, the IDC on NATO team went to cities and Cahul and Comrat with James Mackey and Krisztian Meszaros, where they participated in two roundtables at the State University of the two cities. The discussion focused on the perception of NATO. James Mackey stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance, characterized by a set of shared values - such as the rule of law, individual freedoms and human rights. The officers also reiterated that NATO does not intend to be the world’s policeman, adn that the Alliance is coordinating it’s actions with the UN and its Security Council; in the same vein James Mackey and Krisztian Meszaros said the that the Alliance is not looking for new members, but it keeps the open door policy for those countries wishing to join NATO independently, and who qualify for the status membership. Finally, they expressed their belief that Russia is a very important European country without which you cannot build a viable security architecture in Europe, noting that NATO does not consider the Russian Federation an enemy, but that Russia must comply to international law and fulfill its international obligations and commitments.
The discussions held in Balti, Cahul and Comrat were part of the “Understanding NATO: Media Campaign” implemented by the IDC on NATO.
During these two days two presentations were held for the high school students of the “Ion Creanga” in Balti “Mihai Eminescu” in Cahul on global security issues. The presentations were held by Sanda Sandu and Mihai Ţurcanu within the “Security for You (th)” currently implemented by the IDC on NATO.
Information and Documentation Center on NATO
Center for Investigative Journalism