Premium
Romania will continue to be a "responsible" and "active" contributor to the promotion of Euro-Atlantic security and stability, and the reinforcement of NATO's deterrence and defense posture in a unitary manner is "essential", Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, in a joint statement with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"Romania remains fully committed to fulfilling all its obligations and we will continue to be a responsible and active contributor to the promotion of Euro-Atlantic security and stability. The increase of the defense budget to 2.5 percent of GDP is a concrete step in this regard, in the spirit of allied solidarity," the Prime Minister said.
According to Ciuca, the implementation of the decisions adopted at the Madrid NATO Summit for the firm and sustainable bolstering of the allied position, including on the Eastern Flank and in Romania, is "crucial".
"Strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense posture overall in a unitary and consistent manner is essential for the Alliance to be able to promptly and efficiently respond to all the threats it faces," PM Ciuca went on to say.
The creation of the France-led Battle Group that includes military contingents from the Netherlands and Belgium represents "a materialization of these decisions and a concrete proof of the solidarity and unity that characterizes the Alliance," the Prime Minister added.
"Let me thank on this occasion France, the Netherlands and Belgium for their involvement and solidarity, and I also thank the United States for their presence in Romania. We appreciate the active role and substantial engagement of the Secretary General in the adoption of a set of visionary decisions, in support of Euro-Atlantic security, and we encouraged the continuation of these efforts in the next period, for the implementation of the adopted decisions. The full implementation of all the allied leaders' decisions is an absolute priority," said Ciuca, who also pointed out the importance of the upcoming NATO foreign ministerial meeting that will take place in Bucharest at the end of November. AGERPRES
