The change of the regional security climate as a result of the crisis in Ukraine leads to the conclusion that, on medium term, the eastern neighboring region of the Alliance will continue to be challenged by complex developments, the Minister of National Defence, Mircea Dusa, pointed out during the seminar on Security Matters and Adapting Collective Defense within NATO to the Current Regional Security Context.

Minister Dusa said that the vision and priorities of the Alliance have definitely changed, making it imperative to identify and adopt swift reassurance and adaptation measures in response to the new risks and threats. In this respect, the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan is the best exemple of Trans-Atlantic relation revigoration and also the most important consolidation of NATO collective defence capabilities, Mircea Dusa added.

Romania has become an active factor whereas the consolidation measures of the collective defence are one of its main priorities. The NFIU activation ceremony in Bucharest that took place today, simultaneously in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lihtuania and Poland have a strategic significance for us that sends a strong signal as to the allied reassurance and solidarity in the present security context, the minister of national defence pointed out.

Minister Dusa also said that the change of command of the Multinational Southeast Division took place in Bucharest offering the Alliance additional options in conducting missions in the southern area of the allied Eastern flank

Finally, the minister of national defence thanked the diplomatic personnel for the outstanding cooperation between the two institutions and for the contributions in taking swift and timely decisions in response to the developments in the security environment, with a focus on Ukraine and the efforts of the international community to conter the islamic State. Be assured of our determination to pledge to and implement the tasks assigned to us with a view to consolidating collective defence and our own military force for the increase of the strategic credibility of Romania in allied and international context, Minister Mircea Dusa summed up.

The seminar on Security Matters and Adapting Collective Defense within NATO to the Current Regional Security Context took place within the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy, taking place in Bucharest over September 1 to 4.

MoND Press Office