The Cracow Ministerial meeting, five weeks before the anniversary Strasbourg/Kehl Summit, aimed to analyze two important areas for the future Summit: the operational agenda and the NATO's transformation agenda.
As for the operational agenda, mainly focused on the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, it concerned the increase of contribution with forces, stressing on the security of elections to be held this year in Afghanistan; the need of acceleration of setting into practice the Bucharest Summit decisions on the overlarge approach, especially in civilian-military cooperation and between the international implied institutions NATO, UN and the EU; the increase of the allotted resources to train and to equip the Afghan National Army; and the need to increase the allied states' contributions in training the Afghan National Police.
Minister of National Defence, Mihai Stanisoara, stressed on the steadfastness Romania is committed to the assumed obligations within the Alliance. This year, due to the supplement with 135 militaries, our total contribution to ISAF reaches 900 militaries. The Informal Ministers meeting in Cracow included a session with the participation of the Defence Ministers from non-NATO contributors to ISAF.
As concerning the agenda of NATO's transformation, in his statement, Minister Stanisoara stressed on the importance of NATO Response Force operationalization with access to the common funds to be used for.
As concerning the reform of the NATO leading structures, Mihai Stanisoara stressed on the necessity to maintain the principle of consensus to all the decision levels within the Alliance. The Romanian Minister supports the technical options for the NATO's anti-missile shield, according to the Bucharest Summit's decisions.
During the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia sessions, Minister Stanisoara re-affirmed the fact that Romania encourages the two countries' aspirations to join NATO and the needed reforms.

MoND Press Office