ForMin Aurescu: New strategic concept of NATO must explicitly mention Russia as main threat to Alliance

A new NATO strategic concept must explicitly state that Russia poses the main threat to the Alliance's security, Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Thursday, before the meeting of the foreign ministers from NATO member states, which is held in Brussels, Agerpres reports.

"We need to reflect on strengthening the Eastern flank's posture of deterrence and defence, and not only, in the Alliance. We need to reflect clearly on the fact that collective defence is the key task of the Alliance. We also need to focus on more issues, such as strengthening the resilience of the allies and a new, innovative strategic agenda of relations with the Alliance's partners," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

He also spoke of the need for NATO to draft a new strategic concept "to correspond to the current reality."

"I underscored, in this context, that the strategic concept must explicitly state that Russia is posing the main threat to the security of the Alliance right now," the Romanian minister said.

Aurescu also underscored the need to create "as soon as possible" the NATO Battle Group in Romania, approved in the second half of March.

He also emphasized on the need for humanitarian aid for Ukraine, adding that, in this context, Romania has provided support to about 700,000 Ukrainians who have taken refuge in Romania since the war started.