Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Moldovan counterpart on the planned opening of a permanent NATO liaison office in Chisinau.

The establishment of a NATO liaison office in Chisinau was requested by the Moldovan Government. The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has ratified the exchange of letters necessary for the office to proceed and the Government understands the office is likely to open in June 2017. NATO is committed to supporting Moldova's reform efforts and both NATO and the UK share the objective of wishing to see a secure and stable Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is, however, a constitutionally neutral country that does not aspire to NATO membership, something which both the UK and NATO acknowledge and respect.The British Ambassador to Moldova met the Head of the NATO Office (designate) in Chisinau on 3 March.