NATO Day in Romania
Membership of the North Atlantic Alliance is fundamental for Romania, said political leaders in Bucharest on the celebration of NATO Day in Romania, on 5th April.
Ştefan Stoica, 06.04.2026, 13:50
At a delicate time for NATO, when the leader of the United States, NATO’s main military and financial contributor, treats the Allliance as a toy of which he appears to have become bored, Romania remains committed, in words and deeds, to the values and role of the strongest political and military alliance in history.
In a statement made on Sunday, on the occasion of NATO Day in Romania on 5th April and the 77th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, on 4th April, Romanian president Nicuşor Dan said the current international context reminds us how precious and fragile peace is and how important NATO membership remains. “Romania’s path to NATO was informed by the deep desire to be part of a space of democracy, freedom and the rule of law. These are the values that underlie how we build our defence,” the president emphasised. And at the heart of this architecture, he added, is Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, the certainty that Romania’s security is guaranteed by the full force of the Alliance. “In a world marked by complex and unpredictable challenges, Ally unity is crucial. Solidarity is expressed in concrete form today, in the consistent presence of Allied troops in our country. Their presence here, on the Eastern Flank, shows a close transatlantic bond and demonstrates NATO’s commitment to protecting Allied territory”, Nicuşor Dan also said.
In the opinion of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, for Romania, NATO represents security, stability and trust. At the same time, he believes, membership of the Alliance comes with responsibilities, which we are constantly ready to take on, through concrete contributions to collective security and an active presence alongside the allies. Prime Minister Bolojan also called for a united and strong the Alliance. Romania will continue to invest in defence, modernise its army and consolidate its role as a trusted partner on the Eastern Flank, actively contributing to Euro-Atlantic security, the prime minister said.
Romania promotes a stronger Europe in NATO, capable of genuinely contributing to collective defence and the resilience of the Euro-Atlantic area, according to a statement issued by the foreign ministry. “In an international context marked by the worsening of the security situation in Europe, against the backdrop of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the multiplication of global crises, Romania’s NATO membership remains the foundation of national security,” the ministry stressed. For Romania, the statement also reads, being part of an Alliance based on guarantees of collective defence, allied solidarity and military interoperability represents the strongest strategic anchor.
Romania deposited the instrument of ratification of the Washington Treaty with the US State Department on March 29, 2004. The ceremony of raising the Romanian flag at NATO headquarters took place during the ministerial meeting on April 2, 2004.
