Romania and the allies are strengthening the deterrence and defence posture of NATO in the Black Sea and on the Eastern Flank where, for the first time after the 2nd World War, the Alliance is confronted with a direct military threat, President Nicusor Dan underscored on Thursday in a post on his Facebook page.
The message was conveyed on the occasion of the conclusion of the Dacian Fall military exercise at the Cincu military base, an event which „marks an important moment for the peace and security of Romania and of the Euro-Atlantic area.”
The head of state explained that over 5,000 servicemen from Romanian and nine other countries, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal and Spain, participated in the exercise, held from 20 October to 13 November.
„The initiative confirms the continuity of national and allied efforts, at political, diplomatic and military levels, started immediately after the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. (…) Through this exercise, together with our allies, we assessed how the process of upgrading NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) Battle Group from battalion to brigade level can be completed,” Nicusor Dan added.
According to the president, an important element was testing the Alliance’s capacity to rapidly project forces on the Eastern Flank, namely to move troops and military equipment from France to Romania.
„The exercise proved the importance of military mobility as an essential factor for deterrence and collective defence, confirming NATO’s ability to respond quickly and effectively wherever needed on allied territory. I thank all the allies who contributed to this joint effort, as well as those who are part of NATO structures in Romania. We share the same democratic values and have common security interests,” he added.
The head of state highlighted that the unity of allied countries ensures a stable security environment.
„Our close cooperation at political and military levels strengthens us, both individually, as states and collectively, in a spirit of solidarity, as NATO members, the strongest alliance in history,” President Nicusor Dan said. AGERPRES
