Romania has assumed the role of a „responsible” ally in strengthening regional security, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Tuesday, in the context of the informal meeting of defence ministers of the North Atlantic Council, with Sweden, held in Vilnius, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit, write Agerpres.
„The relevance of the Black Sea region has grown exponentially in recent years, with Russia being the main threat, involved both militarily and politically in every security file in the region. Romania has assumed the role of a responsible ally in strengthening regional security and will continue to do so in order to identify the best political, diplomatic and military solutions to support allied decisions on the strategic importance of the Black Sea. It is clear that this region needs a greater commitment from NATO countries,” the minister said, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) sent to AGERPRES.
The agenda of the informal meeting of the North Atlantic Council Defence Ministers with Sweden was shaped around important decisions at NATO level on strengthening the deterrence and defence posture, as well as elements of interest regarding the development of the defence industry.
„The Allied commitment to allocate a minimum of 2 percent of GDP to Defence is a clear expression of this determination, with Romania already allocating 2.5 percent. The adoption of the new regional defence plans is a paradigm shift in the approach to collective defence at the allied level. The Ministry of National Defence will continue to be part of this collective effort,” said minister Tilvar.
As regards the development of the defence industry, he underlined that Romania will maintain its comprehensive commitments under the three pillars of the concept of equitable responsibility sharing – the provision of financial resources, the implementation of the assumed capabilities and the contribution to NATO operations, missions and commitments. The Romanian Defence minister also welcomed the adoption of a new commitment on defence spending.
