President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday evening, at the end of the meeting in The Hague, spoke about the importance of further strengthening NATO, in particular Romania. “Russia is and will remain the immediate and most direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security,” the head of state said, News.ro reports.

“I had the opportunity to have a very constructive and open exchange of ideas in an informal setting during the preparations for the Summit in Vilnius. Of course, we also discussed the events of the end of last week in Russia, especially their potential impact on Russia’s waging of war against Ukraine,” Klaus Iohannis said.

According to him, the summit in Vilnius “will be an important moment in the further strengthening of our Alliance in many dimensions.”

“First and foremost, we will be able to benefit from the progress made in strengthening our deterrence and defense posture. In Madrid, we clearly recognized the strategic importance of the Black Sea for Euro-Atlantic security. The current development of events once again vividly demonstrates the validity of this recognition,” the president also said.

According to him, “Russia is and will remain the immediate and most direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security.”

“Therefore, we must be able and ready to further strengthen our position and continue to provide the necessary support to Ukraine and our most vulnerable partners, especially the Republic of Moldova,” the president added.

Iohannis believes that “deterrence and defense represent an area of ​​great effort in which we hope to see the full implementation of the decisions taken at the Madrid summit.”

“The Alliance needs a strong, long-term position, a real advanced defense capable of responding to all threats. Given our strategic positioning, Romania is particularly interested in the additional consolidation of the eastern flank through a concerted and unified approach. This means providing the necessary forces, structures, capabilities and means, as well as appropriate management measures,” the president added.

Iohannis appreciates that “it is also a demonstration that we are capable and that we want to support all these transformations with a consolidated commitment to invest in our defense.”

“The defense investment commitment in 2014 was critical to advancing the strengthening of the Alliance. Now it’s time to move on. Romania is ready to take on all the necessary responsibility. Thus, as I already announced in Madrid, starting this year, the national defense budget has increased from 2% to 2.5% of GDP,” Iohannis said.

He believes that in order to be effective, “the Alliance also means working more closely together for the benefit of our partners.” (News.ro)

“Ukraine remains at the center of our efforts. The summit should have clear and significant results for Kyiv, promoting our political and practical support, including for concrete, measurable progress of Ukraine in terms of joining NATO,” the head of state also emphasized.

According to him, Romania’s support for Ukraine and its desire to become a full-fledged ally are well known.

“We will continue to be a firm supporter of Kyiv. In 2008, in Bucharest, the countries of the Alliance made a decision that Ukraine would become a member of NATO. In Vilnius, we must continue this commitment. It is about responsibility and trust in our relations with Ukraine, but it is also about trust in the Alliance. In Vilnius, we are looking forward to a meeting with President Zelensky, hopefully in the format of the new Ukraine-NATO Council,” Iohannis also said.

He also states that “we must not forget about our most vulnerable partners in the region, especially the Republic of Moldova.”

“His security and the security of Ukraine are connected. And their security is connected with our transatlantic security. If they are stronger, our region is stronger, the Black Sea is safer, and therefore the entire territory of the Alliance is safer,” the head of state added.

He believes that “we should continue close cooperation with Chisinau, especially taking into account the enormous efforts made by this country to maintain security and stability in the region since the beginning of the war.”

“Let me conclude by reaffirming our unwavering commitment to strengthening the Alliance. As a loyal ally, Romania will continue to act as a responsible security provider in the Black Sea region. I am looking forward to the summit in Vilnius and all its concrete results,” concluded Iohannis.