17 July 2025, Chișinău – Moldova’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Valeriu Mija, met with Arnold Kammel, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Austria. Austria’s Ambassador to Moldova, Stella Avallone, also participated in the discussions.

The officials discussed common cooperation priorities and interministerial efforts to strengthen collaboration in defense and security. They reviewed the current situation in Moldova in light of the upcoming parliamentary elections and reiterated Austria’s firm and consistent support for Moldova’s European Union accession process. The active cooperation between the two countries within international organizations and platforms was also acknowledged.

Both sides emphasized the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation, including by intensifying contacts at the government level. In this regard, they mentioned the recent meeting between Moldova’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Daniella Misail-Nichitin, and her Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, held on 13 June in Luxembourg on the margins of the JHA Council.

The continuation of projects aimed at supporting Moldova’s modernization and European integration was welcomed. Among them is the planned opening of an electronic and IT-focused college on 1 September, which will be part of the Austrian schools abroad network (Österreichische Auslandsschule – ÖAS). This German-language institution aims to provide quality education, facilitate socio-economic integration, and align with European standards.

Secretary of State Valeriu Mija invited Arnold Kammel to participate in the upcoming Moldova Security Forum in Chișinău and expressed the Moldovan authorities’ readiness to further develop the bilateral partnership, including through expanding the number of projects and expertise in various security fields such as national resilience, IT and digitalization, cybersecurity, strategic communication, and security culture.