The Parliament plenary was briefed on Tuesday, in a letter from President Klaus Iohannis, about the participation of the Romanian Army in the EU Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea, starting in 2024.

„Amid the deterioration of the Sahel security situation and the risk of instability spilling over in the West African region, concomitantly with the increase in the strategic relevance of the Gulf of Guinea, the Council of the European Union decided the establishment, in Brussels, starting from 01.01.2024, of a strategic military staff structure tasked with setting the necessary framework in place for the start of the mission and the coordination thereof with the authorities of the West African states. The strategic goal of this mission is the development of adequate capabilities of the security forces of the Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin, so as to allow them to effectively respond to the threats generated by the presence of terrorist groups in the region, based on a military-civilian structure with a reduced, flexible and modular footprint,” the letter sent to Parliament states.

The head of the state emphasizes that „the participation of the Romanian Army in this mission is aimed at strengthening the country’s profile as a member state, ensuring security and increasing the EU’s global role in support of the Gulf of Guinea states, in line with Romania’s higher level of ambition regarding the African continent.”

„In this context, in accordance with the provisions of Art. 119 of the Romanian Constitution and Law No. 121/2011 regarding the participation of Romanian armed forces in foreign missions and operations, with subsequent additions and amendments, at the proposal of the prime minister of Romania, after consulting the Supreme Council for National Defence, I hereby notify the Romanian Parliament that I have approved the participation of the Romanian Army in the EU Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea, starting in 2024,” the document signed by President Iohannis also states.

The funds necessary for the participation of the Romanian Army in the said security and defence initiative are provided from the 2024 budget allocated to the National Defence Ministry.

AGERPRES