Ankara NATO Summit reconfirms the Alliance unity and strengthens collective defence

Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad, participated, on July 7–8, as members of the delegation led by the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, in the NATO Summit held in Ankara. 

On the sidelines of the high-level meeting, the Ministry of National Defence delegation participated in a series of ministerial and bilateral meetings as well as events dedicated to strengthening the security of the Eastern Flank, developing the Alliance’s capabilities and enhancing cooperation among member states and the defence industry. 

An important result of Romania’s participation was the ministerial meeting of the MCM Black Sea initiative member states, during which the defence ministers of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey decided to expand the missions of the task force for the protection of critical infrastructure.  The decision contributes to strengthening maritime security in the Black Sea, protecting freedom of navigation and increasing the response capacity of the three allied states to the challenges generated by the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. 

During the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF), the Ministry of National Defence delegation participated in the launch of new multinational initiatives aimed at developing the Alliance's capabilities. Romania joined the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC – GlobalEye) Program, NATO's future early warning and aerial surveillance platform, and participated in the signing of memoranda of understanding on the joint development and acquisition of military capabilities. These multinational projects allow for the acceleration of acquisition processes, reduce costs and development times, increase interoperability among allied states and contribute to the consolidation of NATO's defence industrial base, one of the strategic commitments undertaken by the Alliance. 

The agenda of the MoND delegation also included bilateral meetings dedicated to enhancing defence cooperation. The discussions held with the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic aimed at enhancing military and industrial cooperation between the two allied states. At the same time, the visit to Turkish Aerospace Industries and the dialogue with representatives of the defence industry in Turkey opened new perspectives for the development of joint projects. Thus, the officials agreed to organize, in September, a meeting between officials and representatives of defense companies from Romania and Turkey. 

The Minister of National Defence also participated, together with President Dan, in the North Atlantic Council working session, where Romania brought to attention two topics considered essential for the security of the Eastern Flank: supporting the Republic of Moldova and the strategic importance of the Black Sea. 

The Ankara NATO Summit demonstrated, once again, the unwavering unity of the Alliance and the firm commitment of the member states to defend every inch of the allied territory.  Allied leaders stressed NATO’s transformation path – NATO 3.0, based on a stronger Europe into a stronger NATO, with European Allies and Canada taking greater responsibility for defence, in complementarity with the United States. 

On defence investment, Allies emphasized progress in implementing commitments undertaken at the Hague Summit. In 2025 alone, European Allies and Canada will invest almost 20% more in defence than in the previous year, representing over $139 billion in additional defence spending. The summit also reaffirmed the role of joint procurement projects and industrial cooperation as essential tools for strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture. 

The Romanian delegation’s participation in the Ankara NATO Summit reconfirms our country's commitment to strengthening Euro-Atlantic security, developing the Romanian Armed Forces capabilities and actively participating in NATO’s multinational projects, to the benefit of national and collective defence.

The Press Office