A MoND delegation headed by State Secretary for Policy of Defense and Planning, Mr. Viorel Oancea, participated in the Informal Meeting NATO Defence Ministers organized in Istanbul, Turkey on February 4 and 5. Discussions included issues on NATO's agenda were focused on defence transformation, evolution of NATO led operations in Afghanistan and NATO engagement in Kosovo.
Particular attention was paid to the Alliance's transformation, they evaluating the stage of the main going on multinational initiatives and focusing the medical treatment for deployed forces, countering the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), fielding additional helicopters and NRF. With regard to NRF, they discussed how to enhance the political engagements for offering the forces for the allied reaction force capability by asking the statements on national voluntary aims.
Resources were a leading theme of this meeting, need for balance was highlighted between the Alliance's resources and possible savings both where defence budget is concerned and NATO security investment programme.
NAC reunion focused the NATO's engagement in Kosovo (KFOR) with the perspective to step to the next stage - "presence to discourage".
The NATO led operation in Afghanistan was the second major issue approached by the ISAF contributing Defence Ministers. The debates were mainly based on the London Conference on ISAF, from January 28, 2010, with the stress on training and advising the national Afghan forces of security. For a better coordination of the efforts of the international community in Afghanistan, the ISAF meeting was attended by the EU High Representative Catherin Ashton and UN Special Representative Ambassador Kai Eide.
This occasion, the Romanian delegation participated to Regional Command, South- ISAF contributors' meeting and had a bilateral meeting with the US delegates on the fulfillment of commitments in this area of operations.

MoND Press Office