The Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu, participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in the meeting of his counterparts from NATO member states and the discussions were focused, in the context of the war in Ukraine, on defining the decision-making package and strategic perspectives, which will give substance to the Madrid Summit, which will take place at the end of this month.
"The meeting began with a working dinner with the participation of representatives of NATO partner countries - Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Ukraine, during which the current situation in Ukraine was discussed, as well as the possibilities of increasing support for Eastern partners. In the presence of EU officials the development prospects of the NATO-EU Strategic Partnership, the role of both organizations in consolidating the rules-based international order and addressing security challenges were discussed, and Minister Vasile Dincu emphasized the impact of Russia's actions and the implications for Euro-Atlantic security. He also stressed the need to maintain Allied solidarity and support for Ukraine.
The minister of defense also welcomed the substantial contributions of Finland and Sweden to Euro-Atlantic security and reiterated Romania's support for a rapid process of NATO accession of these two partners.
"We need a new construction and a new foundation for NATO's East Coast deterrence and defense stance, in all areas of operations. We need to move from a forward presence to a credible forward defense, adapted to the new security context. We hope that the Madrid Summit will confirm the allied commitment for this desideratum", said Vasile Dincu.
The Romanian minister highlighted Romania's decision to supplement the budget allocated to defense to 2.5% of GDP starting with 2023.
"Co-financing is at the heart of the Alliance's success in carrying out its tasks. Now, more than ever, there is a clear need for a strong commitment to the requirements of the NATO 2030 Agenda. I strongly support the Secretary-General's proposals to increase co-financed budgets of NATO, in order to implement the decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in 2021", pointed out the minister of defense.
AGERPRES.