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President Klaus Iohannis says in a message on the occasion of NATO Day that he would continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relation, which he sees as the spinal column of the Alliance and the community of democratic and security values Romania is part of.
"Romania reiterates the full support for each sovereign state to make its own foreign policy and security decisions. I will continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relation, which is the spinal column of the Alliance and our community of democratic and security values. On the occasion of NATO Day, I reaffirm with confidence that our country and its citizens benefit from the most solid security guarantees in history, the largest and most sustainable concrete protection, day by day. Today's reality is asking us to act of a joint and decided manner both on national level and within NATO, the European Union and all relevant multilateral structures, to ensure the security and welfare of the Romanian citizens," Iohannis said in the message sent by the Presidential Administration.
He brought to mind that Romania marks, on Sunday, NATO Day, which this year takes place in a special security context, generated by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
"18 years ago, on April 2, 2004, the Romanian flag was hoisted for the first time at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, our country having become a member of the strongest politico-military Alliance in history. In its 73 years of existence, the North Atlantic Alliance has proved its crucial role in ensuring the Euro-Atlantic security, guaranteeing the security of the member states, including Romania. Collective defence has been and must stay the central element of the Alliance, as provided by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty," he said.
President Iohannis said that these principles were "firmly and eloquently" reaffirmed in Brussels at the Extraordinary NATO Summit on March 24, when decisive steps were taken to achieve the long-term consolidation of the Allied position of deterrence and defense on the Eastern Flank, "as Romania has demanded and argued."
"We have shown that we have the capacity, as Allies, to act together, to strengthen the transatlantic relation and to implement, without hesitation, the mission of collective defense of common values and principles," the head of state said.
According to him, the decision to create the NATO Battlegroup in Romania, along with three other such structures on the Eastern Flank, "reflects exactly the allied determination and solidarity."
"Today, more than ever, NATO is proving to be highly relevant by providing protection to member states and their citizens against increasingly diverse and increasingly complex risks and threats. Romania is, in turn, a major supplier of security and stability at regional and Euro-Atlantic level, a responsible and involved member, as evidenced by the efforts made in the international missions in which it participated or is participating. Consolidating the defence capacity further represents a priority of our country, also reflected in the decision to increase defense spending from 2 to 2.5% of GDP starting 2023," Klaus Iohannis also said.
He stressed that Romania remains committed, "through substantial conceptual contributions" to the NATO adaptation process. In this regard, says the head of state, an important moment will be the NATO Summit in June in Madrid, when a new Strategic Concept will be approved and important decisions will be made for the further implementation of the objectives set out in the NATO Agenda 2030.
President Iohannis also assured that Romania will continue to promote the partnership between NATO and the European Union, "based on complementarity and synergy" and will support its partners - the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, in their resilience growth efforts.
