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VITALIE VRABIE: “MOLDOVAN ARMY WILL RENOVATE ITS MATERIAL AND TECHNICAL BASE FROM 2009 TO 2014
(Exclusive interview of Moldovan Minister of Defense Vitalie Vrabie to Infotag Reporter Lilia Gurez)
“I”: Mister Minister, how do You assess the reform in the Moldovan Army?
V.V.: The concept of the Military reform was approved in 2002. It consists of three implementation stages within the 2002-2014 period. We are currently at its second stage (2005-2008). It envisages the setting-up of the system of the civil and military administrations of the Armed Forces with the detailed division of powers in the field of political, administrative and military administration.
“I”: “How does the contingent of Moldovan militaries in Iraq fulfill its functions there? Will Moldova continue sending its servicemen there?
V.V.: The Moldovan servicemen participate in the post-conflict operation in Iraq since September 2003. At present the sixth contingent of the Moldovan servicemen is acting in Iraq: 16 sappers and four staff officers. All the personnel of the mission was formed from servicemen, who work on a contractual base and who expressed their desire to participate in this mission. The last contingent of our sappers revealed and neutralized more than 4 thousand explosives. All in all, for five year, when Moldova responded to the call of the Iraqi Government to render assistance in the restoration of Iraq and sends its missions there, the Moldovan sappers neutralized 350 thousand explosives.
As for sending new contingents of servicemen to Iraq, I would like to tell that the mandate of our contingent in Iraq expires in January 2009. However, taking into consideration that the situation in Iraq is stabilizing and the Iraqi law and order authorities are able to undertake responsibility for the state of affairs in the country, the Moldovan sappers of the last contingent will come back home already in December 2008. If we receive another request on rendering assistance to Iraq, the decision will be taken at the political level and only by the Ministry of Defense.
“I”: Do You think the military status enjoy success in Moldova?
V.V.: Certainly. It is proved in the first place, by the Moldovan population’s confidence index to state institutions. According to the last poll, conducted by the Barometer of Public Opinion, about 43.6% of the population trusts to the National Army, which fact allows us to be among the top of the state institutions, which enjoy confidence on the part of the population. I think that the population’s belief in the Army evidence that the Army is on a right way.
“I”: How many youths were called up to the Army this autumn and what do they do during their military service?
V.V.: The call-up assignment was fixed by the Government. Each year two call-up campaigns are conducted – in spring and in autumn. Each assignment constitutes about 1.3 thousand youths. After the call-up they pass the initial training, swear an oath and then they are distributed according to professions and are trained in accordance with the military training plan. There is no big problems with the call-ups, the tasks, which are put, are always fulfilled. During the last period the qualitative level of selecting recruits was raised, which fact was underscored by heads of the units. From year to year the number of youths, who express a desire to pass the Army life school increases.
“I”: Are any elements of such phenomenon as “Dedovschina” (privileges of the those, who serves the last six months of their military service over the other servicemen) and relations, which confront the service regulations, on the part of those, whose rank is higher, manifested in the Army?
V.V.: There is no such phenomenon in the Moldovan Army. In the former Soviet Army the so-called “dedovschina” has a character of a phenomenon. There are no prerequisites for this in the Moldovan Army. Firstly, the one-year military service makes virtually all the youths equal. Secondly, transparence in the intercourse with servicemen allows us to establish direct contacts between the heads of the units. There is a number of other conditions, created by the Amy commandment, for example, the confidence telephone in each military unit (252-333), the use of other intercourse means. On the ministry’s site we conduct an on-line poll, in the course of which everybody has a chance to speak out problems, concerning the military service.
“I”: The parachute jumps were resumed in the Army. What was the reason for their suspension?
V.V.: The suspension was directly connected with the equipping. The service life of the parachutes of our special unit expired and for this reason, parachute jumps were resumed only after the test of the new equipping. In August 2008 at the Decebal air base in Marculesti the servicemen of the Fulger special battalion tested the “Wing” type parachutes, which were produced in the USA and which we use currently. The jumps were conducted in accordance with the plan; servicemen fulfilled all the standards well.
“I”: How does the Army renovate its military and technical base?
V.V.: It is no doubt that we want to renovate our weaponry fleet and for this purpose we worked out an overall plan of measures. The weaponry, which can no longer be used by the Army, must be removed or sold. We have also envisaged a number of measures for modernizing and equipping the Army with up-to-date weaponry. In accordance with the main tasks of the military reform, the process of equipping the Army with up-to-date weaponry and ammunition will be implemented in the course of the third stage – in 2009-2014.
