REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SECURITY

UNCLAS CHISINAU 000081 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UMB AND PM/RSAT FOR CPETRONE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PM MD SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SECURITY DIALOGUES: CHISINAU RESPONSE REF: STATE 112900 ¶1. The United States and Moldova conduct Bilateral Defense Consultations every two years with the location traditionally rotating between the United States and Moldova. As part of the U.S. Department of Defense's bilateral relationship with Moldova, these consultations are designed to review the bilateral defense relationship and chart future areas for cooperation. The first defense consultations that we are aware of took place in 1997. The agreement to conduct bilateral defense consultations appears to have been an informal one between the two countries, as neither the Embassy's Defense Attach Office nor the Moldovan Ministry of Defense has any record of a formal agreement. ¶2. The last Bilateral Defense Consultations took place January 11-12 in Washington, D.C. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine and Eurasia, Dr. Celeste Wallander, chaired the event. Other senior U.S. attendees were Major General Ingram, the North Carolina National Guard Adjutant General, Brigadier General Ramirez, the United States European Command Deputy J5, and Ambassador Chaudhry. The Moldovan delegation consisted of six individuals from the Ministry of Defense and two from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the Moldovan delegation was Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta. ¶3. The next Bilateral Defense Consultations are tentatively planned for late 2011 in North Carolina. If the event occurs as planned, it would be hosted by the North Carolina National Guard Adjutant General. CHAUDHRY