EU to set up mission in Moldova under Common Security and Defense Policy

BRUSSELS. April 24 (Interfax) - The Council of the European Union announced on Monday it was setting up the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM Moldova) "to enhance the resilience of the security sector."

"Today we are stepping up EU support to Moldova [to] protect its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The deployment of this new mission is yet another important political sign of the EU's support in the current difficult circumstances," High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell said.

The Council of the EU said in a communique that the mission was being set up under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).

"The objective of this civilian mission is to enhance the resilience of the security sector of the country in the areas of crisis management and hybrid threats, including cybersecurity, and countering foreign information manipulation and interference," it said.

"The mission will provide advice at strategic level on the development of strategies and policies, and identify the needs for capacity building for early warning, detection, identification, attribution of threats and the response to hybrid threats," it said.

In line with Moldova's request, EUPM Moldova will have an initial mandate of two years, and its operational headquarters will be in Moldova.

The European Council recognized the European perspective for Moldova on June 24, 2022. In its conclusions of December 15, 2022, the European Council affirmed that the EU would continue to provide all relevant support to Moldova. In January 2023, the Moldovan government invited the EU to deploy a civilian mission in the country under the CSDP.