CHISINAU. Aug 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Personnel reduction has been launched in the Moldovan National Army, Defense Minister Viktor Gaichuk said on Monday.
About 400 officers and 100 professional privates and sergeants serving with the Defense Ministry's units will be reduced from August 1 to October 1, Gaichuk told Interfax- Military News Agency.
"The decision to this effect has been made by national parliament following a proposal by President Vladimir Voronin, who is the supreme commander-in-chief (of the Moldovan Armed Forces - Interfax-AVN). The reduction is to be completed before the beginning of the autumn draft. After the reduction, the National Army will number 6,800 personnel, and organizations reporting to the Defense Ministry will have 2,800 officials," the minister said.
According to him, the reduction is aimed at optimizing the Armed Forces structure, which is written into the military reform concept approved by the parliament in February this year. Under the document, the Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry will lay off 500 personnel each and the Information and Security Service will lay off 200 people.
Officers amount to about 22 percent of the entire Moldovan National Army personnel.
Gaichuk stressed that "the current reduction will not have any influence on the recruitment of active-duty servicemen for the National Army."
"The number of active-duty servicemen was cut yet 1.5 years ago through reducing the service term from 18 to 12 months. The decision had a positive effect on the draft. The number of draft dodgers decreased as a result of service term reduction. Now we have no problems with meeting draft target figures, and the number of people opting for alternative civil service has declined dramatically," the minister said.