Moldovan Minister: âWe are a constant targetâ
Mihai PopÈoi says Moldovaâs public institutions are regularly targeted by Russian hackers
Moldovaâs Deputy Prime Minister has spoken of his countryâs efforts to bolster defences against cyber warfare despite its âmodest capabilitiesâ.
âWe are a constant target of Russian attacks on our infrastructure, not just the public broadcaster, but also the post office and government institutions are regularly targeted by hackers which experts attribute to Russiaâ, he said.
Speaking to HARDtalkâs Stephen Sackur, Mr PopÈoi, who also serves as the countryâs foreign minister, said his country has recently identified Russia as its main security threat, and had committed to reaching a target of 1% of GDP spent on defence, âwhich is a big jump to what historically was the investment in Moldovaâ.
âOur predecessors, many of whom have been pro-Russian, had no incentive to invest in defence; they actually had all the incentives to maintain Moldovaâs vulnerability,â he added.
Mr PopÈoi has been Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova since February 2024, after his predecessor Nicu Popescu resigned. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, the former Soviet country is scheduled to hold presidential elections in October 2024. A referendum on Moldovaâs bid to join the European Union will be held on the same day.