CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2023) The Moldovan army has received a new batch of weapons and military equipment worth over $3 million from the United States, with the delivery expected to improve conditions of military personnel training in the country and boost its overall defense capabilities, Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii said on Friday.
"The delivery provided on behalf of the US government complements the multifaceted assistance provided for over 30 years of the Moldovan-US cooperation and will contribute to ensuring better conditions for the military personnel training during exercises and peacekeeping missions. The aid worth more than $3 million was delivered to Chisinau by the US Air Force aircraft," Nosatii said at a solemn ceremony of the weapons transfer to the Moldovan army.
The package includes portable firearms, communication devices and personal protection equipment, the minister said, adding that the supply had taken place under the agreement signed by the two countries in 2019 and designed to help Moldova modernize its forces.
US Congressman Doug Lamborn, who also attended the solemn ceremony, said that Washington had supplied assistance worth a total of $123 million for the modernization and training of Moldovan troops as well as for boosting the country's defense capabilities.
In January, the Moldovan Defense Ministry said it would like to strengthen the country's defense capabilities and purchase additional weapons for this purpose. Nosatii stated then that Chisinau had asked its Western partners for air-defense systems amid the crisis in the neighboring Ukraine as it lacked necessary funds to buy them.
