US citizen Karen Bonaby is enlisted in the staff of the Moldovan Ministry of Defense as an expert and is not an adviser to the minister. This was announced by the head of the defense department Viktor Gaichuk.
He categorically denied rumors that the arrival of an American expert means Moldova’s rapprochement with NATO or the country’s refusal of neutral status.
“By this appointment, in fact, we were confronted with a fact, since the initiative to invite a US citizen to the Moldovan Defense Department as an expert was born back in 2018 from the then Minister Eugen Sturza. Subsequently, neither under Minister Voicu, nor during my second mandate, this issue was never raised. And when the US Ambassador recently introduced Ms. Bonabi to me, it was the result of an initiative two years ago”, – Gaichuk said.
According to him, Karen Bonaby will work as an expert in the development department of the ministry and oversee relations with the US government.
“Her appointment took place in the context of the cooperation relations established between the two defense departments. The United States helps the National Army of Moldova with various material resources and, accordingly, has the right to know how effectively the money of American taxpayers is spent in the republic. Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Karen Bonaby will oversee this very direction, as well as, for example, the implementation of such joint programs as the Partnership for Peace and other US-funded assistance programs”, – the minister concluded.