Moldovan PM calls for faster opening of NATO Liaison Bureau in Chisinau
CHISINAU. Feb 8 (Interfax) - Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration to prevent the process of opening a NATO Liaison Bureau in Chisinau from dragging on.
"We have signed an agreement on opening this Bureau. I ask you to place this question under control in order to avoid the dragging on of the process and any red tape there," Filip said at the beginning of a government meeting on Wednesday.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Lilian Darii replied that "there are no obstacles to the opening of a NATO Liaison Bureau."
"The relevant agreement was signed in Brussels on November 29, 2016. It was urgently ratified by the parliament, and the parliament's decision was promulgated by the president on December 16. We informed the NATO head office that the internal procedures were completed on December 26, 2016. Since this moment the agreement has taken effect, the opening of the Bureau is being prepared," Darii said.
"The NATO Liaison Bureau is a conventional diplomatic mission, where only diplomats, civilians, but not the military will be working," he said.
"The head of the NATO Liaison Bureau in Chisinau has already been appointed. We hope that the opening will take place in April," Darii said.
Prime Minister Pavel Filip urged the Foreign Ministry "to provide assistance in this and to disallow any delay."
Meanwhile, during his visit to Brussels on Tuesday Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who stands against the current course for European integration and cooperation with NATO, called on the alliance not to make haste with the opening of the Bureau in Chisinau.