The Chief of Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, participated in the NATO Military Committee Reunion, in videoconference format, over 12th-13th January, this being the first session of the chiefs of defence from 2022.

The reunion was attended by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Tod D. Wolters, and the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), General Philippe Lavigne, and the working sessions were conducted by the Chairman of the Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer.

During the working sessions, the officials evaluated the current situation from a 360 degree integrated perspective, the chiefs of defence presenting the national positions in consolidating the defence and deterrence posture. The officials focused on the Alliance Military Strategy and the way it may be reflected in the new NATO Strategic Concept and suggested practical ways of implementing the NATO's Warfighting Capstone Concept and Concept for the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area. At the same time, the chiefs of defence were informed by their counterparts from Georgia and Ukraine about the security situation and the progress of the military reforms from the two countries. Together with the SACEUR and the SACT, the military leaders talked about the current and future potential opportunities, which enable the NATO forces, capabilities and procedures to accomplish its main missions collective defence, crises management and security through cooperation.

The second day of the works was opened by NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who presented the Alliance's priorities and perspectives in the context of the current security situation.

In his interventions during the reunion, General Daniel Petrescu emphasized that the new NATO Strategic Concept must point out, in the first place, the supreme commitment of the Allied states for collective defence, according to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, as well as the main risks and threats against the Alliance security. Also, the chief of Defence Staff argued the need to increase the Allied presence in Romania and in the Black Sea region for the cohesive and credible strengthening of the defence and deterrence posture on the entire Eastern Flank.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has the role of making recommendations to the North-Atlantic Council on the way the Alliance can react to the global security challenges.

The chiefs of defence meetings take place twice a year at the NATO Headquarters from Brussels and once in a NATO member country. The routine activity is made by the national Military Representatives that are appointed at the NATO Headquarters from Brussels.

The Press Office