Moldova observes neutrality, has not requested weapons supplies - Moldovan foreign affairs and European integration minister

CHISINAU. April 1 (Interfax) - Moldova observes constitutional neutrality and has not requested from its partners any weapons supplies to the country, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu said on Friday, responding to questions from journalists at a joint press conference with his colleagues from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.

The government is working on the assumption that "the most important thing is to maintain peace and stability in Moldova," he said. "Our method is diplomatic dialogue with partners, and by that we contribute to the strengthening of peace in the region," he said.

"Under the Constitution, Moldova is a neutral country. This provision was interpreted in detail in a 2017 Constitutional Court resolution. And our regional policy is based on these two documents. It envisages that Moldova, being a neutral country, does not engage in military action. But neutrality does not mean isolation. Therefore, Moldova has been involved in various military cooperation projects with many partner countries and in peacekeeping operations for many years. And from that viewpoint, Moldova is interested in being involved in multilateral efforts to strengthen peace," Popescu said.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in that regard that, if there are no requests from a country it means there are no military supplies, which is "logical."

"Austria, like Moldova, is a neutral country, and it is looking to focus on humanitarian assistance supplies. In this context, we will also help Moldova manage the crisis with refugees from Ukraine," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said.

It was announced at the press conference that Austria will give Moldova assistance worth 10 million euro and the Czech Republic will provide assistance worth 3.5 million euro.