Europe’s assuming a more active role in its own defense represents the necessary response to current challenges, the Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, told a Tuesday’s meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte.

„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 defense, and to Euro-Atlantic democratic values, guides Romania’s actions. Strengthening the transatlantic partnership and assuming a more active role by Europe in its own defense represent the necessary response to current challenges,” the Romanian minister declared, according to a press release from the Ministry of National Defense.

The discussions focused on security developments in the Black Sea region, the consequences of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the joint efforts to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank.

In the context of preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague, to be held in June, the two officials discussed the strategic priorities of the Alliance, with an 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 objectives in preparing the meeting.

Minister Tilvar emphasized the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security and the need to keep 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 Romania.

During the meeting, Romania’s contributions to the allied defense posture were reviewed, including its active participation in the Battle Groups in Poland (since 2017), Bulgaria and Slovakia. The minister also highlighted Romania’s involvement in Enhanced Air Policing missions, including the deployment of an F-16 aircraft detachment to Lithuania between April and July 2025.

As to budget commitments, Minister Tilvar reaffirmed that Romania continues to respect its commitments to NATO, allocating over 2% of GDP to defense in 2024, and in 2025, the defense budget will again exceed the 2% threshold, thus supporting the efficient implementation of major equipment projects. The Romanian official highlighted the need to increase the production capacity of the industry in Europe.

The minister of National Defense also stressed the importance of multinational exercises, recalling Romania’s successful participation in the Steadfast Dart 25 exercise, the largest NATO exercise this year. Held on the territories of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, the exercise brought together approximately 10,000 military personnel from nine allied states, demonstrating NATO’s ability to rapidly mobilize forces for collective defense, in accordance with the Alliance’s new defense plans.

In conclusion, the importance of supporting partners in the Black Sea region was reconfirmed, with a particular emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, in order to strengthen resilience and security in the eastern proximity of the Alliance, the Ministry of National Defense also informs.

AGERPRES