Premium
The Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience will make a significant contribution to increasing the resilience of Romania, NATO and the EU, and will generate "tangible benefits" in terms of security, the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Monday, at the inauguration of the headquarters of this Centre.
He said that this inauguration "marks the materialisation of a project that has been a priority of the Romanian diplomacy in the last nine months," being "a very relevant step forward for the full operationalisation of the Centre."
"This Centre proves that Romanian diplomacy is determined to give a solid strategic content to the concept of resilience. The term is already part of our European and Euro-Atlantic institutional language. In fact, Romania is already engaged in a series of processes of reflection on the subject of resilience, both within NATO and the EU, in order to strengthen its concept and facilitate the comprehensive response of these organizations, but also at the level of the state and society, the EU and NATO member states and their partners, respectively, a concrete strategic initiative of Romania that contributes to the strengthening of NATO and EU resilience, and will generate tangible advantages in terms of our security, of Romania, of our allies and partners," added Aurescu.
The Foreign Minister mentioned that the Romanian diplomacy has actively promoted the project at all levels and will provide updated information to the allies on Tuesday, at the ministerial meeting of foreign affairs, which will take place in videoconference format.
"In recent months, intense efforts have been made at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of our partner institutions (...) to materialize this project and the centre is becoming, today, a tangible reality. For a start, the centre will function as an institution. In a second stage, after reaching the initial operating capacity, it will be internationalized, it will be open to the participation of experts from EU member states, NATO or partners of these organizations who want to join. the activity of the Centre, mentioned Bogdan Aurescu.
He specified that this Centre will actively cooperate with both public institutions and the private sector, academia, international research institutions and civil society.
"We want the centre to provide a platform for strategic discussions, for the development of concepts, for the collection and provision of lessons learned and best practices, as well as for training and exercises, and to enable the development of various resilience programs on three pillars: combating and reducing risks through anticipation and adaptation, the development of analytical tools and good practices, practical cooperation in research, education, training and joint exercises," added Aurescu.
The head of the Romanian diplomacy also said that, in the first stage of activity, E-ARC will operationalise a series of working groups on the issues of resilience at the level of society, in the field of threats generated by emerging and destructive technologies, communication systems and new technological ecosystems, complex crises and emergencies, ensuring the continuity of governance and essential services, transport infrastructure, the resilience of states in the vicinity of NATO and the EU to the anti-Western influences of some state and non-state actors.
"I am convinced that the Centre will make a significant contribution to increasing the resilience of Romania, NATO and the EU," Aurescu added.
President Klaus Iohannis and Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu inaugurated the headquarters of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Florin Cîtu, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, and the Vice President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Forecasting, Maros Sefcovic.
On 19 May, the Government adopted a decision on the organization and operation of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, reports agerpres.
