The Minister of National Defence, Gabriel Les, met with Camille Grand, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, at the defence ministry on Monday, March 27, as part of the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC) information visit at the 99th Military Base Deveselu.

They discussed the developments of the security environment and the priorities on NATO agenda. They also discussed Romania's contribution and support of the missile defence program and the procurement programs of the Romanian Armed Forces and the investments in the field of defence.

Minister Les emphasized that Romania is strongly committed to implementing the decisions made at Warsaw Summit and the defence ministers' meeting of February, pointing out the importance of consolidating the deterrence and defence posture and accomplishing NATO's forward presence on the national territory and at the Black Sea.

The Romanian official stressed that the 2 percent of the GDP allotted to defence in 2017 signify that Romania observed NATO Defence Pledge, namely the commitment to the allied endeavors in the current geostrategic context. He also reiterated the importance Romanian authorities give to the multinational development mechanisms of the defence capabilities, mainly those conducted in allied context.

The NATO official underlined the important role played by Romania in achieving the defence capability of NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (NATO BMD) by hosting and supporting the development of the US system deployed to Europe, which allowed declaring the Initial Operational Capability of NATO BMD at Warsaw Summit. He also mentioned NATO support for the modernization of the Romanian defence capabilities through the specific instruments existing at allied level.

Press Department