Minister of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Radu Miruta said on Friday, in the context of the withdrawal of some part of the US troops from Romania, that the country is not in danger as long as it is a NATO member.

„As long as Romania is a NATO member, considering the steps taken before becoming a NATO member and the obligations of each NATO partner, there is no danger for Romania. What happened with the withdrawal of troops, part of the US troops did not happen only in Romania, it also happened in several other European Union countries, around 1,000 US soldiers remain stationed in Romania, the US flag is still flying at military bases in Romania, there are soldiers from other countries, we also have the Romanian Army, it is simply a strategy of the US on how to reposition its troops, but, at the same time, alongside the direct US strategy, there is an official NATO military strategy of which Romania is part and things are secure,” Minister Radu Miruta told a press conference in Targu Jiu.

He also drew a comparison between Poland and Romania regarding the amounts invested in equipping the military.

„Poland invests around 5 percent of the GDP in equipping its army and this has been happening for a long time, Romania is approaching 3 percent and only recently. Romania has a defence industry that has seen no investments in the past 30 years and now it is a major challenge for the Army, which needs the most advanced acquisitions, to have these acquisitions made within a defence industry that has not had investment and here there is a clear imbalance, a lack of synchronization. What I am striving to do is, using this SAFE money, to connect the national defence industry with companies that have technology we do not possess,” the Minister of Economy added.

Radu Miruta was also asked about the fact that interim president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Sorin Grindeanu, requested an urgent official briefing in Parliament from the Prime Minister, the Foreign Affairs Minister and the National Defence Minister regarding the withdrawal of some part of US troops from Romania.

„What is the PSD’s position regarding the questions they ask themselves about what is happening within the coalition must be explained by the PSD. I can tell you that on Monday, together with the Prime Minister, we will sign a contract for the defence industry with Rheinmetall, a step forward for what is to happen in revitalising the defence industry sector. We observe what the PSD is doing, people observe it too, and everyone is judging them accordingly, (…) you cannot say you are the largest party in the coalition, sitting at the Government table, and yet ask what is happening in the Government. (…) I know that the Prime Minister responded that it won’t work, this agreement with Rheinmetall will be signed, I do not know what the other two colleagues will do,” Minister Radu Miruta said.

The US troop numbers remain unchanged at the Deveselu and the Campia Turzii bases, with the only change expected at the Mihail Kogalniceanu base, where a rotational brigade will no longer be deployed, National Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu announced on Wednesday.

The United States will withdraw some of the troops deployed on NATO’s Eastern Flank, leaving around 1,000 servicemen at the three military bases in Romania. AGERPRES