The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, took part in the 52nd Security Conference in Munich

The Black Sea and European Security

Daniela Budu, 15.02.2016, 14:19

The Black Sea area proves crucial in the current
geopolitical context, both for regional security, and for the entire Euro-Atlantic
area, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said in his address to the Munich
Security Conference. The head of state added that Romania remains a pillar of
democracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution
to solving the problems that generate instability at the Black Sea.

Klaus Iohannis said that European officials need to find
solutions to preserve the strength and unity of the European Union. The
European project itself is being questioned. The international community needs
to strengthen NATO as a guarantee of Euro-Atlantic security and to focus on
collective defence, by means of massive investments in the political and
strategic field. Romania will remain a pillar of democracy and stability in
this region, Iohannis also said adding that his country will continue to be a
source of security on the eastern border of NATO and the EU.

Klaus Iohannis reminded the world leaders that this year
Romania increased its defence budget and that an agreement was signed by all
political parties, to the effect that public spending for national defence is
to reach at least 2% of the Gross Domestic Product by 2017. He also welcomed
the decision of the US to increase four times the budget of the European
Reassurance Initiative, and he noted that the migration crisis changed
perspectives in Europe.

As President Iohannis put it, the migration crisis, in
particular, has proved the prospective frailness of the European project and
the limited effectiveness of our institutions. Not long ago, the main topic on
the agenda was enlargement. Today, we must find solutions to preserve the
strength and unity of the European Union, as the European project itself comes
under question.

In Munich, President Iohannis also had a bilateral
meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, and assured him that
Romania supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the
neighbouring country. The two heads of state tackled some of the main topics on
the bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the Ukrainian president
is to make to Romania this year.

During his visit to Germany, the President of Romania
also met with the head of the Bavarian Parliament, Barbara Stamm, and with the
Bavarian PM Horst Seehofer, with whom he discussed, among others, the EU
migration crisis. On this occasion, Iohannis said Romania continues to support
the strengthening of the EU external borders and more efficient regulation with
respect to the immigrant waves.