The Black Sea area proves crucial in the current
\ngeopolitical context, both for regional security, and for the entire Euro-Atlantic
\narea, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said in his address to the Munich
\nSecurity Conference. The head of state added that Romania remains a pillar of
\ndemocracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution
\nto solving the problems that generate instability at the Black Sea. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Klaus Iohannis said that European officials need to find
\nsolutions to preserve the strength and unity of the European Union. The
\nEuropean project itself is being questioned. The international community needs
\nto strengthen NATO as a guarantee of Euro-Atlantic security and to focus on
\ncollective defence, by means of massive investments in the political and
\nstrategic field. Romania will remain a pillar of democracy and stability in
\nthis region, Iohannis also said adding that his country will continue to be a
\nsource of security on the eastern border of NATO and the EU.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Klaus Iohannis reminded the world leaders that this year
\nRomania increased its defence budget and that an agreement was signed by all
\npolitical parties, to the effect that public spending for national defence is
\nto reach at least 2% of the Gross Domestic Product by 2017. He also welcomed
\nthe decision of the US to increase four times the budget of the European
\nReassurance Initiative, and he noted that the migration crisis changed
\nperspectives in Europe. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
As President Iohannis put it, the migration crisis, in
\nparticular, has proved the prospective frailness of the European project and
\nthe limited effectiveness of our institutions. Not long ago, the main topic on
\nthe agenda was enlargement. Today, we must find solutions to preserve the
\nstrength and unity of the European Union, as the European project itself comes
\nunder question. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
In Munich, President Iohannis also had a bilateral
\nmeeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, and assured him that
\nRomania supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the
\nneighbouring country. The two heads of state tackled some of the main topics on
\nthe bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the Ukrainian president
\nis to make to Romania this year. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
During his visit to Germany, the President of Romania
\nalso met with the head of the Bavarian Parliament, Barbara Stamm, and with the
\nBavarian PM Horst Seehofer, with whom he discussed, among others, the EU
\nmigration crisis. On this occasion, Iohannis said Romania continues to support
\nthe strengthening of the EU external borders and more efficient regulation with
\nrespect to the immigrant waves.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Black Sea and European Security<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":67398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[29125,29928,13794],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-67397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-iohannis","tag-munich-security-conference","tag-nato"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n