Moldova’s President Maia Sandu unveiled for public debate the draft of the National Security Strategy at the meeting of the Supreme Security Council (CSS) on October 11.

At a press conference after the CSS meeting, the head of state emphasised that the document is based on three objectives, aimed at strengthening security in "the most dangerous moment since independence".

"We have two great dangers to national security today: the aggressive policy pursued by the Russian Federation against our country and against peace, in general, and the corruption rooted in Moldova," said Sandu, a statement from the presidency said. 

“The whole world is under attacks that are destroying the peace and the order which we took for granted over the past decades … Here in Moldova, we cannot pretend that this does not concern us. If we ignore the harsh reality, it will not go away. We must be prepared and make a clear choice on which side of the world we want to be on,” Sandu added.

EU membership is one of the strategy’s targets, besides boosting investments in the national defence system and revisiting the country’s international relations notably in regard to Russia.

The project includes several key areas such as the investment in defence, the peaceful resolution of the Transnistrian conflict, the fight against corruption and the development of security partnerships with other countries.

“Neutrality does not mean that we should be passive and helpless. On the contrary, it obliges us to strengthen our defence capabilities and create a modern army,” the president said.

The settlement of the conflict in the separatist region Transnistria should be pursued “with the active participation of the European Union and other strategic partners,” Sandu noted. She previously called for the replacement of the Russian peacekeepers with international forces and for the withdrawal of all Russian troops from the separatist territory.

Fighting against corruption is outlined as a part of the security strategy.

“Corruption in the system threatens the security of Moldova and promotes foreign interference in the internal affairs of the country, including through dirty money obtained from illegal activities,” Sandu argued.