From 25 to 29 November, the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the French Gendarmerie, the French Ministry of the Interior, and other key institutions, brought participants from the Moldovan General Police Inspectorate, General Inspectorate of the Border Police and the Customs Service to the French Gendarmerie for a study visit focused on canine (K9) capabilities.
Participants explored strategic approaches to advancing K9 services in line with European standards and good practices. Discussions focused on strategic management and operational frameworks shaping modern K9 operations.
“This study visit represents a unique opportunity for our Moldovan colleagues to observe our methods and modi operandi, but also for us all to exchange expertise and good practices with each other. By working together, we are building bridges to enhance canine operational excellence,” said Colonel Segui, Commander of the National Gendarmerie Dog Training Center in Gramat.
During the visit, participants engaged in practical demonstrations of French K9 training methods for detection, search and rescue, and organized crime operations. Hands-on sessions provided opportunities to implement lessons learned, while discussions and feedback exchanges offered actionable insights into integrating international standards into Moldova’s K9 services.
“The insights and experiences shared during this visit are transformative for the future of our K9 services. They provide a clear pathway for aligning with European good practices while addressing contemporary challenges,” said Olivia Sanduleac, Head of the K9 Unit of the Moldovan Customs Service.
This visit fostered international collaboration and mutual learning, equipping the participants with new perspectives on how to address evolving security challenges.
“The OSCE strives to foster collaboration with Moldovan law enforcement agencies to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency. By complementing this exchange with exposure to international and European experiences, we aim to support resilience against transnational crime and ensure their services meet modern challenges,” said Inesa Nicolaescu, Associate Border Security Officer at the OSCE.
The study visit was funded by the governments of France and the United States of America, under the OSCE's extra-budgetary project “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region”. The project focuses on strengthening Moldovan law enforcement’s capacity to combat transnational organized crime both at the border and within the country, with financial support from the governments of Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland and France.
On 29 November, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department organized a workshop on cyber incident classification for 14 cyber security policy and technical experts comprising 6 men and 8 women in Chisinau. The workshop focused on how to develop and implement a cyber incident classification system, which offers a common system for understanding and defining what a cyber incident is, ensuring consistency in crisis management tools and plans.
The workshop was tailored to Moldova's specific needs in building a national cyber incident classification system. With the rapid increase in incidents threatening cyber security in the country, experts stressed the importance of establishing this system to ensure effective prioritization and management, particularly for incidents impacting critical infrastructure.
“Cyber security is an ever-growing challenge, and the Republic of Moldova is fully committed to building a resilient cyber security ecosystem to protect our citizens, businesses and critical infrastructure. We are confident that with the help of our partners, we can quickly become a reliable counterpart in the fight against cyber threats,” said Mihai Lupascu, Director of Agency for Cybersecurity of Republic of Moldova.
“Cyber security also needs to be addressed on a broader level. On a multilateral level, the OSCE through initiatives like today’s workshop plays a crucial role in advancing cyber capabilities and fostering exchange of best practices among the OSCE participating States. Developing a national cyber incident classification system is a key step in managing the thousands of cyber threats which states like Moldova or Germany face daily,” emphasized Magdalena Poirier from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Moldova.
“States cannot beat back or attend to all cyber incidents. This is why we need to develop a system to classify national cyber incidents, so we know where to apply the state’s resources to deal with cyber threats,” said Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
Participants also engaged in a table-top exercise aimed at exploring the practical application of the OSCE’s 16 cyber/ICT security confidence-building measures (CBMs). These measures are designed to address misunderstandings and misperceptions in cyberspace by fostering transparency, communication and co-operation between the OSCE participating States. The exercise demonstrated how CBMs can help prevent escalation during a cyber incident and highlighted the critical role of cross-border co-operation in protecting critical infrastructure.
The workshop is part of the project “Facilitation of the Development and Implementation of National Cyber Incident Severity Scales (NCISS) and Related Measures to Protect Critical Infrastructures”, which is funded by France and Germany.