Victor Gaiciuc

Victor Gaiciuc[note 1] is a Moldovan military general, who serves as the current Moldovan Minister of Defense.[2] He is also the National Security Advisor to President Igor Dodon. He is currently the Chairman of the Union of Officers of Moldova and was also the Secretary of the Supreme Security Council.[3][4]

Victor Gaiciuc
Minister of Defense
Assumed office
9 November 2020
PresidentIgor Dodon
Maia Sandu
Prime MinisterIon Chicu
Preceded byAlexandru Pînzari
In office
14 November 2019 – 16 March 2020
PresidentIgor Dodon
Prime MinisterIon Chicu
Preceded byPavel Voicu
Succeeded byAlexandru Pînzari
In office
19 April 2001 – 15 October 2004
PresidentVladimir Voronin
Prime MinisterVasile Tarlev
Preceded byBoris Gămurari
Succeeded byValeriu Pleșca
Secretary of the Supreme Security Council – National Security Adviser to the President
In office
16 March 2020 – 9 November 2020
PresidentIgor Dodon
Succeeded byAna Revenko
In office
22 August 2019 – 14 November 2019
PresidentIgor Dodon
Member of the Moldovan Parliament
In office
24 February 2019 – 4 September 2019
Moldovan Ambassador to Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and NATO
In office
January 2005 – 14 November 2009
PresidentVladimir Voronin
Mihai Ghimpu (Acting)
Personal details
Born (1957-03-12) 12 March 1957
Sîngerei District, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyParty of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (since 2016)[1]
Spouse(s)Valentina Gaiciuc
Children2
Alma mater
OccupationMilitary
Military service
Branch/service Moldova Air Force
Years of service1978–2004
RankDivisional general

Biography

Victor Gaiciuc was born on 12 March 1957 in the village of Pepeni, in the Sîngerei District of the Moldovan SSR.[5] He graduated from the Kharkov Air Defense High School (now the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University) in 1978 and then studied at the Lenin Military-Political Academy from 1986–1989, later obtaining the scientific title of Doctor of Historical Sciences. In between that time, he was pilot of the Soviet Air Force, commanding aviation regiments in Ukraine and Belarus. After graduating in 1989, he became responsible for training personnel in the Belarusian Military District. In 1993, Gaiciuc returned to the newly independent Republic of Moldova, where he is appointed as a chief specialist in the Ministry of Defense.

On June 3, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, responsible for staff training, military legislation and international relations. That same year, he began to take courses at the NATO College in Rome. He was removed from his position on 7 April 1999, becoming a commissioner in the ministry and serving in that position for one year. He was reappointed as deputy defense minister in April 2000 who was responsible for international cooperation.

Defence Minister (2001–2004)

By a parliamentary and vote of confidence on April 19, 2001, Colonel Gaiciuc was appointed as the Minister of Defense in the Government of Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, with Gaiciuc being promoted to Brigadier General just 10 months later. In early 2004, he awarded 3 Moldovan soldiers serving in Iraq with the Medal of Merit.[6] He was dismissed from office on 15 October 2004 by presidential decree after the Supreme Security Council made an appeal for his dismissal, criticizing his work in the defense ministry and finding him responsible for the theft of arms.

Diplomatic career

On 12 January 2005, Gaiciuc was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Moldova to the Kingdom of Belgium and concurrently Representative of the country to NATO. He held these positions for close a year before additionally becoming the ambassador of Moldova to the Netherlands, residing in Brussels.

Adviser to President Dodon

He was appointed to the post of Supreme Security Council Secretary in August 2019, succeeding Artur Gameniuc who was transferred to the Information and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova.[7][8][9] On 2 September, he met with Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow where he was invited to attend an annual meeting between the secretaries of the security councils of CIS member states in Moscow.[10][11] In stating what his mandate would look like, he vowed to "direct my efforts to further promote patriotic values".[12] In February 2019, he was elected to the Moldovan Parliament.[13] In his official position as advisor, he accompanied Dodon during the 2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade.[14] Two weeks earlier, he had been ordered by Dodon to see off the Moldovan contingent participating in the parade at the airport.[15]

Defence Minister (2019–2020, 2020-present)

He was appointer by Prime Minister Ion Chicu to lead the new technocratic government following the collapse of the Sandu Cabinet led by Prime Minister Maia Sandu, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence after a disagreement with the co-governing Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova.[16] He was handed the banner of the defense ministry by President Dodon from his predecessor Pavel Voicu on 14 November.[17] In an interview, he deflected concerns about a relationship with Dodon, stating that "service and personal relationships are two different things".[18] In early 2020, Gaiciuc signed an agreement with Bishop Vladimir (Cantarean) of the Moldovan Orthodox Church on religious cooperation with the Moldovan National Army.[19] Around the same time, he oversaw the creation of the National Council for War Veterans Affairs, an association which he is the president of.[20] He was dismissed on 16 March 2020, being replaced by Alexandru Pînzari. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Divisional general.[21]

He was reappointed on 9 November 2020, following the first round of Moldovan presidential election on 1 November.[22][23]

Private life

Gaiciuc is currently married with two children. He is currently decorated with military distinctions of Moldova, as well as distinctions from other countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Belgium). Among his awards are the Medal "For Impeccable Service", the Order of the Republic[24] and the Medal "100 years of Aviation". Gaiciuc speaks Romanian, Russian and French. He is considered to be a good friend of Moldovan president Igor Dodon, who had proposed Gaiciuc to the position of defense minister following his rejection of Eugen Sturza to the office.[25]

References
  1. "Victor Gaiciuc – alegeri.md". alegeri.md.
  2. "Ministerul Apărării al Republicii Moldova". www.army.md.
  3. "Виктор Гайчук – о службе в авиации, космонавтике и дипломатии". Aif.md. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  4. "Руководство". July 8, 2015.
  5. "GENERALUL VICTOR GAICIUC – CHEMAREA INALTIMII". moldova-suverana.md. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  6. Emering, Edward. The History of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781300360391. Retrieved 29 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. "Igor Dodon l-a numit pe Victor Gaiciuc în funcția de consilier al Președintelui RM, secretar al CSS". president.md.
  8. https://sis.md/en/conducerea/artur-gumeniuc?status=1
  9. "Victor Gaiciuc: Red Army Veteran with Moldovan President's Ear". August 22, 2019.
  10. "Russian Security Council Secretary Meets With New Moldovan Counterpart In Moscow". UrduPoint.
  11. "Victor Gaiciuc a avut o întrevedere cu Nicolai Patrușev". president.md.
  12. "Victor Gaiciuc și-a depus mandatul de deputat". noi.md.
  13. "Pro-Europeans Take on Moldova's 'Old Guard' in Election". December 27, 2018.
  14. "Генерал Гайчук о параде в Москве: "наши" прошли достойно по Красной площади". ru.sputnik.md.
  15. "Молдавские военные отправились в Москву. Они примут участие в параде Победы". СП - Новости Бельцы Молдова. June 14, 2020.
  16. "Игорь Додон представил нового Премьер-министра, Министра внутренних дел, Министра финансов и Министра обороны сотрудникам соответствующих учреждений". president.md.
  17. ȘTIRILE, PUBLIKA MD-AICI SUNT (November 14, 2019). "GALERIE FOTO: publika.md – Ministrul Apărării, Victor Gaiciuc, a fost prezentat efectivului Armatei Naţionale | PUBLIKA .MD – AICI SUNT ȘTIRILE". www.publika.md.
  18. ȘTIRILE, PUBLIKA MD-AICI SUNT (November 22, 2019). "Ministrul Gaiciuc, despre afinitatea pe care o are cu Igor Dodon: Serviciul şi relaţiile personale sunt două lucruri diferite | PUBLIKA .MD – AICI SUNT ȘTIRILE". www.publika.md.
  19. "Ministry of Defense of Republic of Moldova".
  20. "Ministry of Defense of Republic of Moldova".
  21. "Игорь Додон представил коллективам двух новых Министров". president.md.
  22. "Chicu Reshuffles Moldovan Govt Ahead of Presidential Run-Off". Balkan Insight. 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  23. "Prezentarea noul ministru al Apărării, generalul de divizie Victor Gaiciuc. - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  24. Указ Президента Республики Молдова от 27.08.2017 г. № 353-VIII «О награждении государственными наградами»
  25. "Victor Gaiciuc, propunerea nepotistă a lui Dodon pentru șefia Ministerului Apărării ~ InfoPrut". Infoprut.ro. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

Notes
  1. Russified as Viktor Vladimirovich Gaichuk (Виктор Владимирович Гайчук)
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