Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)

I thank the noble Baroness for that question and for her long-term passion for and commitment to this issue, not just in Moldova but in other countries in the region, which she is right to have. She is right that Moldova faces a multiheaded set of challenges, including Russian disinformation and drone attacks crossing Moldovan territory, which are not only more frequent but, I am afraid to say, increasingly likely to cause serious damage and casualties. I am pleased to say that, in 2024, the UK signed a defence and security partnership which affirmed our support for the people of Moldova and their chosen path against Russian disinformation attempting to undermine that in presidential and parliamentary elections. Through this partnership, we provide a range of support to counter threats, including in cyber, illicit finance, information manipulation and defence. Last year, we bilaterally provided more than £5 million in security and defence assistance. I met the Moldovan Foreign Minister, Minister Popșoi, in Toronto last week at a conference on Ukraine, where we discussed the support that we are giving. The Moldovans are extremely positive and grateful for all the help we provide.