Former U.S. Ambassador Heather M. Hodges Speeches

Ambassador Heather Hodges’ remarks at the First U.S.-Moldova Bilateral Political-Military Working Group Meeting

February 7, 2006

Mr. Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to inaugurate the U.S.-Moldova bilateral working group on political-military affairs.

This initiative grows out of our desire to ensure that the United States can offer the best possible assistance to the Republic of Moldova as you move towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration.  It is important that we have a regular, open dialogue so that we understand each other's goals, needs, and capabilities.

We have used similar working groups to elevate the level of our cooperation with several countries that have since become members of NATO.  I know that joining the Alliance is not currently on President Voronin's agenda for Moldova, but he has called for a closer relationship with NATO and you are now working on your Individual Partnership Action Plan.  We look forward to hearing more about that process today, and discussing how we can help you achieve your objectives.

We also look forward to hearing about your work on a National Security Strategy and a National Foreign Policy Document for Moldova.  In turn, our team will brief you on our current assistance strategy for Moldova in the field of defense and security.

We have found that meetings of this sort not only help us communicate bilaterally, they also help both sides communicate better internally.  As you move toward a closer relationship with NATO, as well as eventual membership in the European Union, inter-agency coordination is absolutely vital because these objectives cannot be achieved by one ministry alone.  They require the combined efforts of many ministries and agencies, as well as parliament.  Effective information sharing can be difficult in any bureaucracy, but it is absolutely necessary.

That is one lesson we learned clearly with the terrorist attacks on September 11.  And cooperation in the war on terrorism is a topic I particularly hope we can discuss in this working group.

I want to thank the Minister of Defense for agreeing to host this meeting.

We look forward to useful discussions today that will illuminate the way ahead in our bilateral security relationship.

Thank you.