President Nicolae Timofti today met United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, the presidential press service has reported.
The officials approached the security in the region and of Moldova ,in particular, as well as the Moldovan-American cooperation in different sectors.
The president appreciated U.S. support for Moldova, including in modernising the technical and military branch. Also, Timofti said that Moldova was open to cooperate with the NATO within the limits set by international law, and underlined the need to further modernise Moldova's military forces, with the support of partners.
In the context, Mabus welcomed Moldova's initiative to increase the defense budget. He said that the army reform must be implemented simultaneously with the justice one, and fight against corruption should stay a priority for authorities. "My visit to Moldova, a landlocked country, represents an additional proof of the importance of this state in the Black Sea area," Ray Mabus stressed.
The sides positively appreciated the cooperation between Moldova's army and the U.S. Navy, aimed at enhancing the country's defense capacity.