Spain has a clear commitment to security on NATO’s eastern flank, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday, as he announced that his country will send 130 troops and eight military aircraft to participate in operations in the Black Sea region, according to Agerpres.

„We have a very clear element on the eastern flank in Europe, therefore we will deploy 130 troops and eight military aircraft to conduct operations in the Black Sea region. So Spain’s commitment to the security of NATO’s eastern flank is clear, and it’s a commitment I discussed with Prime Minister Ciuca and which also includes other states such as Moldova, a country I visited in June and about which we discussed at length, particularly about Moldova’s EU accession,” Sanchez told a joint press conference with Premier Nicolae Ciuca, after the joint sitting of the Romanian and Spanish governments.

Prime Minister Ciuca thanked the Spanish side for the decision taken.

„Let me thank you for your decision to strengthen the presence of the Spanish armed forces on the eastern flank. It is a decision that comes as a result of the NATO Summit hosted by Madrid. It is the result of the implementation of NATO’s new Strategic Concept,” Nicolae Ciuca said.

Agerpres