UK, French Air Defense Personnel To Ensure Security Of EU's Summit In Moldova - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2023) Security of the second European Political Community summit that will start in Moldova on June 1 will be ensured by temporary air defense systems manned by United Kingdom, French and Romanian troops, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The high-level meeting will take place 8 kilometers (5 miles) from mainly Russian-speaking breakaway region of Transnistria and 21 kilometers from the Ukrainian border highlighting challenges posed to the European Union and NATO over tackling insecurity on Europe's "periphery," the newspaper reported.

The summit will be attended by 47 leaders from, among others, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Norway, Turkey to discuss energy, connectivity and security issues, including the Ukraine conflict, the Armenian-Azerbaijani crisis, as well as growing tensions in the Balkans, the report said.

It added that the participants would be divided into smaller groups for thematic sessions and that the leaders would have "plenty of time" for bilateral meetings.

Transnistria has been seeking to secede from Moldova since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1992, Transnistria became a territory de facto not controlled by Chisinau following a two-year military conflict. After the start of Russia's military operation in neighboring Ukraine, tensions in the contested region escalated.