Meetings of the Minister of Defence with NATO Secretary General and Chairman of the Military Committee

During his official visit to Brussels, Minister of National Defence, Mihnea Motoc, met Thursday, January 21, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, at NATO Headquarters.

During the meeting, Defence Minister was accompanied by General Nicolae Ciucă, Chief of General Staff.
Were discussed current issues for NATO, with emphasis on the implementation plan to increase the operational capacity of NATO (Readiness Action Plan / RAP) Summit agenda in Warsaw, which will be held this year, evolution in Afghanistan, while maintaining NATO Operation “Resolute Support” and during 2016, and were analyzed the security challenges manifested globally and regionally.

In analyzing measures to implement the RAP, Minister Motoc emphasized Romania’s active participation, by supplementing and improving the contribution to the NATO Response Force with personnel and military equipment, including aerial, and by significantly increasing the number of international exercises in the national territory, which allowed the Romanian militaries to train together with the other structures of the Response Force. Minister of National Defence showed that the high pace of training will be maintained over the next two years.
In the same context, it was highlighted that over the past year have been activated in Bucharest, two allied structures, NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs), which recently reached full capability, and the Multinational Division Southeast headquarters in Bucharest, activated on 1 December 2015, for which the declaration of initial operational capability is planned this year, and which will reach full operational capability in 2018, and will provide additional options for the leadership of the Alliance’s missions in this eastern flank.

Regarding preparation of political decisions of the NATO Summit in Warsaw, it was discussed the need to adopt additional measures to those already included in the RAP to strengthen defense and deterrence and continue the adaptation to the new security environment.

In this context, the Romanian Defence Minister underlined the importance needed to be given to the security situation in the wider Black Sea region, for which pragmatic defense and deterrent measures had to be adapted in the area.

Regarding NATO “Resolute Support” mission in Afghanistan, the defense minister said that Romania will continue, in 2016, the level of employment from 2015, with about 650 soldiers.
In the second part of his official visit to the Headquarters of the Alliance, the Minister met with General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the Military Committee.

The two officials reviewed issues concerning the general agenda of NATO and Romania’s contribution to the allied effort, both in the implementation of RAP, and in the Alliance-led military operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Ministry of National Defence – Information and Public Relations Directorate
Photo: General View of the Meeting (source: NATO)