Defence Minister’s meeting with NATO Secretary General

Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvăr, had an official meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at the Alliance Headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, March 25. The talks focused on the security developments in the Black Sea region, the consequences of the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine and joint efforts to strengthen the deterrence and defence posture on the eastern flank.

In the context of preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague, which will take place in June, the two officials discussed the Alliance's strategic priorities and placed a great emphasis on the unity and coherence of the Allied response to emerging security challenges. The Romanian official conveyed Romania's support for the Secretary General's goals in preparing the leaders' meeting.

Minister Angel Tîlvăr emphasized the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for the Euro-Atlantic security and the need to maintain it at the forefront of NATO's agenda. The Romanian official drew attention to the challenges generated by the Russian Federation's drone attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure in the Danube area. At the same time, he highlighted Romania's contribution to supporting Ukraine. In this context, he highlighted the very good results of the European F-16 Training Center that was established in our country. 

"With a war at the border and in an unpredictable geopolitical climate, it is essential to demonstrate unity and strategic vision. The attachment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the fundamental principle of collective defence and to the Euro-Atlantic democratic values, guides Romania's actions. Strengthening the transatlantic partnership and assuming a more active role for Europe in its own defence is the necessary response to the current challenges," Minister Angel Tîlvăr stated.

Romania's contributions to the allied defence posture were reviewed during the meeting, including its active participation in the Battle Groups in Poland (since 2017), Bulgaria and Slovakia. The minister also highlighted Romania's involvement in the enhanced Air Policing Missions, including the deployment of an F-16 aircraft detachment to Lithuania, over April-July 2025. 

With reference to the budgetary commitments, Minister Tîlvăr has reaffirmed that Romania continues to respect its commitments to NATO, allocating over 2% of GDP to defence in 2024, while the 2025 defence budget again exceeds the 2% threshold, thus supporting the efficient implementation of major procurement programs. The Romanian official pointed out the need to increase the production capacity of the defense industry in Europe. 

Minister of National Defence also emphasized the importance of multinational exercises, recalling Romania's successful participation in Steadfast Dart 25 Exercise, the largest NATO exercise this year. Conducted on Romanian, Bulgarian and Greek territories, the exercise brought together approximately 10,000 military personnel from nine allied states, demonstrating NATO's ability to rapidly mobilize forces for collective defence, in accordance with the Alliance's new defence plans. 

In conclusion, the importance of supporting partners in the Black Sea region, with a particular focus on the Republic of Moldova, was reconfirmed, with a view of strengthening resilience and security in the Alliance's eastern proximity.

The Press Office