NATO seeks to strengthen partnership with Moldova

NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow discussed the advantages of cooperation and partnership and the crisis in Ukraine with a delegation of Moldovan lawmakers on Tuesday, said a NATO press release."We want to look for ways to strengthen your efforts on the reform path," Vershbow told the parliamentarians.He thanked the seven-member parliamentary delegation for their country's commitment to increased political dialogue and cooperation with the Alliance.Vershbow thanked Moldova for its recent decision to contribute troops to the Alliance's mission in Kosovo. A contingent of 41 soldiers joined the KFOR operation on 8 March. It is the first time that Moldova participates in a NATO mission.During the meeting, the Deputy Secretary General reiterated NATO's respect for Moldova's constitutional neutrality and underlined that Allies continue to support the country's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.The Moldovan delegation was led by Alexandru Cimbriciuc, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Public Order and head of Moldova's delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.