Romania and NATO

The Supreme Defence Council approves Romania's mandate for upcoming NATO summit and updated version of its army-equipping programme

Ştefan Stoica, 22.03.2017, 13:28

Romania’s Supreme
Defence Council has approved the country’s mandate at the NATO summit in
Brussels due on May 25th. Romania’s expectations are mainly related
to the reconfirmation of the importance and solidity of the trans-Atlantic
relationship, a relationship based on unity and solidarity among allies. Also,
we expect that Romania’s contribution to NATO and to ensuring European and
Euro-Atlantic security will be emphasised and promoted, and the strategic
importance of the Black Sea highlighted, said President Klaus Iohannis, who
chaired the Supreme Defence Council’s meeting. He also noted that the NATO
summit in Brussels will ensure the framework for the presentation of the vision
of the new American administration with respect to NATO’s role, a mid-term
review to assess implementation of the decisions taken at the latest NATO
summit in Warsaw and the launch of new lines of action in the run-up to the
2018 Summit.

At its latest
meeting, Romania’s Supreme Defence Council also approved an updated version of
the programme of equipping the Romanian Army. The revision was necessary
following this year’s increase in the country’s defence budget to 2% of the
GDP, in keeping with an accord proposed by the President’s Office and agreed on
by all political forces. The programme covers the transformation, development
and equipping of the army by 2026. Its purpose, President Iohannis has
explained, is to ensure the army’s capabilities to protect national interests
and fulfil international commitments. Klaus Iohannis:

By implementing the
programme, which has been revised and is also in agreement with the NATO
authorities, essential equipping programmes will be initiated with the
participation of local companies, which will be involved in the manufacture of
military equipment, such as 8X8 and 4X4 armoured transport vehicles, armoured
and non-armoured light utility vehicles, multi-role aircraft, command and
control systems as well as corvettes.

In July, Romania
will host a comprehensive military drill that will include about 300,000
soldiers from NATO countries. The US Ambassador to Romania, Hans Klemm, made
this announcement on Tuesday. The American official took the opportunity to
emphasise the very good Romanian-American relationship, both on a bilateral
level and within NATO. He pointed out that the Romanian and American soldiers
work together very well, and that last year alone they carried out about 180
joint military drills and training exercises.