PSD MP and former Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s visit to Bucharest sends a strong message of trust, respect, and appreciation towards Romania and its contribution to the Alliance’s collective security.
„The Secretary General’s presence, in the context of the NATO Industry Forum 2025, confirms Romania’s status as a reliable and solid partner, as well as our active role in the Euro-Atlantic defence architecture and in strengthening the Eastern flank. Romania has proven through actions that it is a responsible and predictable ally. Our country has consistently allocated 2% of GDP for defence, has pledged to increase this to 5% following the NATO Summit in The Hague, and has been a steady participant in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. All these represent a clear expression of Romania’s unwavering commitment to common security and to the democratic values that underpin the Alliance,” Fifor wrote on Facebook.
For Romania, he added, defence does not stop at NATO’s borders it starts at home.
„It is time to accelerate the revitalisation of our national defence industry through industrial cooperation, technology transfer, and sustained investment in research, production, and innovation. The NATO Industry Forum 2025 offers Romania a major opportunity to reaffirm its role as a security provider in the Black Sea region and to demonstrate its firm decision to invest in the national defence industry, either through the European SAFE mechanism or the Ministry of Defence budget,” the Social Democrat stated.
According to Fifor, Mark Rutte’s visit is not only a diplomatic event, but also a recognition of Romania’s maturity as a NATO member and a reaffirmation of the Alliance’s full confidence in the country.
„Romania is demonstrating through consistency and action that it is a pillar of stability and security in the Black Sea region and a partner NATO can rely on in decisive moments,” Fifor concluded.
The NATO Industry Forum will take place on 5-6 November in Bucharest, co-organised by the Defence Industry, Innovation and Armaments Division of NATO’s International Staff, under the patronage of the Secretary General. AGERPRES
