Defence Minister Mircea Dusa met with the Secretary General of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is making an official visit to Romania on 23 and 24 May.

Subjects like the NATO-led missions, Romania`s participation in the theaters of operations and the missile defence shield system from Deveselu were tackled by the two officials during the talks.

Minister Mircea Dusa and Secretary General Rasmussen mentioned that a successful promotion of the European Defence and Security Policy can be done only by a powerful and open Europe, firmly committed to invest in the field of security and defence.

The Minister of National Defence emphasized the excellent collaboration between the Romanian Armed Forces and the armed forces of the other NATO member states, especially our participation in Afghanistan, and reiterated Romania`s intention to take part in the post-2014 mission in this country.

In his turn, NATO`s Secretary General said that the success of the ISAF mission and of NATO’s future training and counseling mission in Afghanistan can be ensured only by maintaining cohesion and solidarity within the Alliance. 'I would like to thank you for the professionalism proven by the Romanian troops in the theaters of operations and tell you that Romania is a powerful NATO ally we can always rely on.'

The cybernetic security was another topic of the office call agenda, both officials emphasizing that a rigorous action plan must be developed by NATO in order to counteract the potential attacks.

The missile defence shield was another topic tackled during the official talks. Minister Dusa informed NATO`s Secretary General with regard to the status of the works in Deveselu Base while Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen spotlighted that the development of NATO`s ballistic missile defence capabilities is still one of the priorities of the Alliance`s political and operational agenda.

'The missile defence system is of strategic importance and a fundamental element that contributes to the increase of security in Romania and the South-Eastern Europe against the threats faced by these countries. I have recently made a visit to Deveselu in order to check on the status of the works and I assure you that the project will be finalized as previously scheduled ', concluded the Minister of National Defence.

MoND Press Office