Romania, a determined NATO ally
“NATO is strong with Romania. And Romania is strong within NATO. This solidarity is the very core of our Alliance. All for one and one for all said in Bucharest the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who participated in the inauguration of the hea
Corina Cristea, 03.07.2015, 13:49
Perfectly integrated within the NATO structures, which it joined in 2004, Romania is harmonizing its defense policy with the security policy based on which NATO is designing its strategies. In this sense Bucharest decided to host two Allied command centers, of which one was inaugurated Thursday in Bucharest. This will be the headquarters from where the allied troops exercises will be planned. NATO Forces Integration Union Romania will become operational in autumn, Jens Stoltenberg and Romanias President Klaus Iohannis announced in Bucharest.
42 military staff will function within this structure, 27 of the positions being allocated to Romania as host country. Romania will also host the Multinational Division South-East command that will become operational next spring. Romania intends to be a security provider in the region, in a very complicated context, said the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who underlined that the talks with the NATO secretary general also focused on the future Alliance summit to be held in Warsaw. In the run up to this summit member countries need to adapt their strategies to meet the new challenges coming from the east and south, Klaus Iohannis said: “The policy of our alliance is aimed at consolidating security in the euro-Atlantic space. We do not want a confrontation with anybody; we do not want another arms race. We count on all responsible politicians to understand the fact that it is not in the interest of any state to aim at the escalation of a conflict that they cannot win either at economic or at political level.
In turn, the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg appreciated Romanias contribution to the Alliances missions: “NATOs roots in Romania run deep. And are growing. And Romania has been firmly anchored in NATO for over a decade. Romanian troops have travelled far away from home to make a significant contribution to our missions – from Afghanistan to Kosovo. And they continue to do so. And we honour their sacrifice. And we appreciate their remarkable professionalism and their dedication. I know how proud Romanians are of their armed forces. And you have good reason to be proud. Romania also helps to promote stability in our neighborhood. Supporting our partners the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia to get stronger. You are also hosting a key part of NATOs missile defense system.
The new NATO structure in Romania is part of the process to adapt to the current security changes and is one of the measures meant to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance.
