Moldova to remain neutral as long as majority of citizens support this - foreign minister

CHISINAU. July 2 (Interfax) - Moldova will remain a neutral country as long as the majority of its citizens support its neutrality, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said.

"Moldova is a democratic country. As long as the majority of its citizens support neutrality, this will continue to be so," Popsoi said on the TV8 television channel on Tuesday.

As a neutral state, Moldova cannot join NATO, he said.

"But this absolutely doesn't prevent us from being the Alliance's partners and cooperate, which we've done over the past thirty years," he said.

Asked about an agreement on security partnership with the European Union signed by Moldova, Popsoi said the document was focused on cooperation but did not provide for security guarantees.

"This partnership is aimed at enhancing our cooperation in opposing hybrid threats and enhancing our capability of opposing cyberattacks and other challenges," he said.

Moldova cooperates with NATO under an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). Former President Vladimir Voronin signed the first such plan back in May 2006. Since then, such plans have been regularly updated and signed for periods ranging from one to three years. The Moldovan government extended the current IPAP for another year in January 2024.

Starting 2025, Moldova is expected to switch to a new Individually Tailored Partnership Program with NATO, which is to be approved in early 2025 and which would be designed for four years, as per NATO's new approach toward cooperation with non-member partner countries.

Public opinion polls have shown that most Moldovans support the country's neutrality, with fewer than 30% of its residents being in favor of joining NATO.