{"id":444305,"date":"2017-08-12T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=444305"},"modified":"2017-08-12T12:00:59","modified_gmt":"2017-08-12T12:00:59","slug":"fuss-around-us-aid-moldovas-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/fuss-around-us-aid-moldovas-army\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the fuss around US aid for Moldova’s Army?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

An article published this week by Russia Today<\/a>\u00a0reported that US Navy is going to build “military objects” at Moldova’s Bulboaca training base which would be used to train troops for an eventual attack against the closely-located breakaway Transnistria. The article could have been ignored as another attempt of disinformation aimed at the public opinion, but it was not the case.<\/p>\n

The infamous, non-grata Russian Deputy PM, Dmitry Rogozin, even shared the piece on his Facebook profile<\/a>, reinforcing the claim that the\u00a0Americans are starting the training\u00a0of special troops of RM (<\/em>Republic of Moldova)\u00a0for the case of another armed conflict with Transnistria<\/em>. Commenting for RT, Moldovan President, Igor Dodon promised to check the information on US plans in Bulboaca. Later, he announced<\/a> he would visit the base on August 14th to clarify\u00a0the state of the things<\/em>, adding that he would not accept the Moldovan soldiers to be\u00a0pieces\u00a0<\/em>of any military camp.<\/p>\n

Clarification<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Moldovan Ministry of Defense had nothing but to dissipate<\/a> the disinformation spread by RT. In a press-release, it clarified that since 2012 Moldova benefits from a $1,6 million grant for infrastructure modernization of Bulboaca Military Training Base, as a partner within the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI). Moreover, Defense Ministry stressed out that the US funds from GPOI were used to improve the training of Moldovan 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion for participating in UN peacekeeping missions- activities that are not connected with NATO and that do not affect Moldova’s neutrality.<\/p>\n

On August 10th, the US Ambassador to Moldova, H.E. James Pettit, paid a visit to Bulboaca base to reconfirm the American interest in improving the peacekeeping capacities of Moldovan National Army and to check how GPOI funds are being spent. Together with deputy chief of National Army General Staff, Colonel Eduard Ohladciuc, Pettit visited the multifunctional target range, the two shooting ranges and the three barracks- all part of the first stage of the project. The officials also went to see the base staff headquarters and the tactical town used for practical training (now under renovation).<\/p>\n

According to the US Embassy in Moldova<\/a>, the United States has already invested $1,1 million to improve training areas and roads in Bulboaca, and anticipates investing at least another $1,2 million.<\/p>\n\n\t\t