<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <strong>The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, received this Thursday at the headquarters of the Ministry in Madrid her counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Anatolie Nosatyi, who conveyed to her the aspirations of his country to join the European Union.</strong> This is the second time that both ministers have met, according to the Ministry of Defense in a press release. The first took place in November 2022 in Chisinau, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Following that first meeting, military support was initiated between the two countries, which allowed the transfer of an assistance package in the form of weapons and ammunition to Moldova. “This relationship is consolidated today with the signing of a Letter of Intent to promote cooperation in the field of Defense in key areas such as Defense policy and planning, military and medical assistance, international humanitarian law, as well as issues on women, peace and security,” the Ministry explained. The Letter of Intent will allow for the establishment of a “more intense relationship between both Ministries” in areas of cooperation such as specialized training, emergency response, cyberspace and industry, it added. Specifically, Nosatyi was “impressed” by the technological capacity, seriousness and potential of the Spanish defense industry, with a view to increasing Moldova's military capabilities and modernizing his country through specific projects. During the talks, Robles and Nosatyi agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine in all areas and the urgency of reaching a diplomatic solution to stop the escalation of the Middle East conflict. The Moldovan minister also discussed his country's aspirations to join the European Union and said that Spain is a "strategic partner" that "is proving key to accelerating the interoperability of its Armed Forces with NATO and the European Union."
