Radio România Internațional

Tag: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

  • Romanian – American Defense Cooperation

    Romanian – American Defense Cooperation

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, was among the allied political leaders with whom the head of the White House, Joe Biden, had a teleconference on Tuesday. Like most such discussions that have taken place since the start of the war, the talks focused on aid for Ukraine and pressing issues related to defense and security. The White House leader, who was joined by the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, assured the allies that the support of Ukraine will continue as long as necessary.



    Even if the latest financial allocations do not include funds for Kyiv, due to the opposition of the conservative camp, Joe Biden keeps putting pressure and says that the Republican Party, which dominates the House of Representatives, must keep its word and ensure the vote of the necessary aid to Ukraine so that it can defend itsfel. The United States, Reuters recalls, leads the Western coalition that supports Ukraine and is the main provider of aid for it, in the form of heavy and sophisticated weaponry.



    In another move, President Biden reiterated the commitment of the United States to the security of Romania and the other allies on the eastern flank, including the recent deployment of additional American F-16 fighter jets in our country. According to the presidential administration in Bucharest, the discussions also focused on ensuring food safety and critical supply chains.



    President Iohannis stressed that Russia must stop the attacks on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, in the immediate vicinity of Romania, which are war crimes and aim to destroy grain warehouses and critical supply infrastructure, affecting also transport on the Danube. He presented the lines of action undertaken so far at the national and allied level, by strengthening surveillance measures, increasing vigilance, monitoring and aerial policing in the Black Sea region and thanked NATO, as well as the United States of America and other allies for the help provided in this regard.



    Romanias president called on the leaders attending to intensify efforts to ensure the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea, more efficiently and better calibrated to the current security situation. Klaus Iohannis stressed that at this moment, increased capabilities are needed for the detection and interception of drones, as well as for a stronger air defense, in accordance with the decisions made at the Vilnius Summit. Romania, assured the head of state, will maintain, in solidarity, as long as necessary, its support for Ukraine, on all relevant levels – including grain transit. The US President and the participating leaders appreciated the efforts made by Romania in support of Ukraine, including, among other things, the training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots. (MI)


  • Delta and Drones

    Delta and Drones


    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has informed and is consulting with NATO allies on the developments on the border between Romania and Ukraine, after the discovery of new fragments of a drone, most likely Russian, on Romanian territory. It is the third such incident in recent days, and the Charge Daffaires of the Embassy of the Russian Federation was summoned to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Romanian diplomacy has once again firmly demanded “the cessation of repeated attacks against the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure and the irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation of the security situation, including at the border between Romania and Ukraine”.



    At the same time, Bucharest insists on “respecting the norms of international law, including the inviolability of Romanias airspace”. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has specified that “there are no elements to indicate that it was an intentional attack on Romania”, and there were no unauthorized flights or violations of the countrys airspace. The official announcements do not diminish, however, the anguish of the people living near the border. Locals from the Danube Delta (Tulcea county, southeast) have already received RO-ALERT messages, in which they are warned about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, amid Russian attacks on Ukraine.



    The message was sent according to a decision of the National Committee for Emergency Situations. People are advised to keep calm and protect themselves in basements or civil protection shelters. In parallel, a detachment of sappers have installed in a village two shelters made of prefabricated concrete elements, which they handed over to the local authorities. Everyone seems to expect such incidents to happen again. The Russians frequently target the river ports of Ismail and Reni, in southern Bessarabia, the eastern Romanian territory annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union in 1940, following an ultimatum, and taken over by Ukraine in 1991, as a successor state. These ports are an important outlet for Ukrainian exports after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal in July.



    Essential for the transport of goods on the Danube, Reni is about 13 kilometers in a straight line from the Romanian city of Galati, and Izmail is on the Chilia arm of the Delta, which has become the border between Romania and Ukraine. The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, also said, last week, that there was no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia. He recalled that similar incidents had taken place in Poland. But the events in Romania, warns Stoltenberg, “demonstrate the risk of an accident” caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The opinion is also shared by the military analysts in Bucharest, who are stressing that the Russian army is not famous for rigor or scruples, especially in times of war. (MI)




  •  Romanian Army Endowment Program

     Romanian Army Endowment Program

    A key player on NATOs eastern flank, bordering the Black Sea and neighboring Ukraine, currently invaded by Russian troops, Romania is forced to manage a very complicated security equation. Moreover, not being one of the robust economies in the North Atlantic Alliance, the country must carefully manage the money allocated to this sector. The NATO report for 2022, presented this week by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, places Romania in 11th place out of 30 allied countries, with an allocation of 1.75% of the Gross Domestic Product for the defense sector.



    Of different political colors, the coalition governments in Bucharest in previous years gave the army and other force structures 1.86% of the GDP in 2021, just over two percent in 2020 and 1.84% of in 2019. The NATO member states have repeatedly pledged to use 2% of the GDP for military spending, but this threshold has been exceeded only by seven of the allies. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense requested the Parliaments approval for the acquisition of new weapon systems, howitzers, air-to-air missiles and combat vehicles.



    These endowment programs are part of a broader objective of transforming the Romanian Army until the year 2040. Their role is to create flexible and modern force structures, with means to ensure their survival in the tactical field, mobility and knowledge of the extended situation and an increased firepower, the ministrys request reads.



    The united permanent bureaus of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament decided to forward the request to the parliamentary defense committees, where, according to the press in Bucharest, it is almost certain that they will receive a favorable opinion. The endowment programs, military experts say, also consider the operationalization of the targets assumed by Romania within NATO and the European Union. The armys shopping list includes modern equipment, and the total value of the endowment program is estimated at 4.2 billion euros. For a country far from having solved many of its economic and social emergencies, the procurement of armament for the Romanian Army seems very expensive.



    But security itself costs money, and sociological research confirms that the population understands this truth. “Our latest polling shows that 82% of people across the 30 NATO Allies believe it is important that North America and Europe work together for our shared security. And 61% agree that NATO membership makes an attack from a foreign nation less likely. NATO has enabled Europe and North America to live in peace for almost 75 years. But todays world is as dangerous as at any time since the Second World War”, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in his annual report. (MI)


  • Romania pleads for strengthening NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania pleads for strengthening NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania wishes for an enhanced NATO role at political and military level, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said at the NATO’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. It was the first physical meeting after the one in November 2019, and also the first occasion to meet the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The meeting focused on the NATO 2030 reflection process, and the Romanian official said he supported the proposals set forth by the NATO Secretary General in that respect.

    Jens Stoltenberg stated that the global challenges that the members states face include Russia’s destabilizing activities, the threat of terrorism, cyber-attacks and nuclear proliferation and the rise of China. NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea region with three littoral states: Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria are NATO members, and then two: Ukraine and Georgia are close NATO partners. We have increased our presence on land, at sea, in the air, but we have also stepped up the cooperation with close and highly valued partners – Georgia and Ukraine.

    We will continue to do so, and we are looking into how we can further strengthen the partnership, both the political and the practical support, and we also welcome the fact that both Ukraine and Georgia are providing support and help to different NATO missions and operations Stoltenberg told a press conference.

    Minister Bogdan Aurescu presented Romania’s analysis of persistent threats to security on the eastern border of the Alliance, including in the Black Sea area, also tackling the need for solutions to the lasting conflicts that have destabilized security in the region. The Romanian official reiterated support for the current NATO stand towards Russia, insisting upon the need for strengthening further NATO’s deterrence and defense posture on the entire Eastern Flank, from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea.

    A dialogue with Moscow can take place only against the background of a very robust NATO posture, the Romanian minister believes. Also, Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the relevant impact of arms control on regional security and stability and defended the need for further and enhanced NATO coordination along this dimension.

    Jens Stoltenberg’s proposal to allocate a special fund for defense and deterrence, designed to encourage allies to participate, for example, in battle groups on the eastern flank, and spending to be covered by the North Atlantic Alliance, not only by the state involved in the operation, was also discussed. The NATO 2030 initiative aims to make the alliance an organization with a greater capacity for global action, especially to cope with the rise of autocratic regimes, China and Russia in particular, and threats to the international order. (MI)

  • Romania and the EU-NATO Cooperation

    Romania and the EU-NATO Cooperation

    Romania remains a trustworthy partner of NATO
    and will continue to fulfill its obligations within the Alliance, the Romanian
    PM Viorica Dancila said after a meeting with the NATO Secretary General Jens
    Stoltenberg. The two officials met on Wednesday in Brussels on the occasion of
    Romania’s taking over the presidency of the Council of the EU. PM Dancila
    presented the NATO official with Romania’s priorities at the helm of the
    Council, focusing on cohesion and cooperation among member states in the face of
    new security challenges and ensuring a more important role of the EU at world
    level.

    Romania firmly supports a strong Alliance and the consolidation of the
    trans-Atlantic relationship, which is vital for Euro-Atlantic security, Dancila
    said. She added that Romania wants the EU to improve its capacity to face
    security challenges, but as a partner of NATO. We are faced with many common threats,
    such as hybrid attacks, including in the cyber field and the use of disinformation
    and fake news to create tension and mistrust. We must face them together, the
    Romanian PM said.


    The two officials also approached the issue of security
    in the region, in particular the developments in the Black Sea area, but also defense
    on the eastern flank. Viorica Dancila:


    I have conveyed the Romanian
    Government’s support for the important progress made by NATO in adjusting to
    the new realities. I have pointed out that security in the Black Sea area is part
    of the Euro-Atlantic security and that the Alliance needs a strategic approach
    in this region.


    In turn, the NATO Secretary General, Jens
    Stoltenberg, talked about Romania’s crucial role in the Black Sea area and appreciated
    Romania’s contribution in the field of security. Moreover, he hailed the
    country’s decision to spend 2% of the GDP on defense. The partnership has been important to both NATO and Romania. This year
    is the 15th anniversary of Romania joining our Alliance. Your membership has been important for NATO
    and for Romania. You contribute to our shared security in many different ways
    and your contributions are making us all stronger and safer Stoltenberg said.


    The NATO Secretary General also talked
    about the Romanian military’s participation in NATO international missions. NATO and the EU are already working more closely than ever, in areas
    including military mobility, cyber and hybrid threats, and maritime security.
    And I welcome your plans for further strengthening NATO-EU cooperation during
    Romania’s presidency, Jens Stoltenberg also said.



  • March 16, 2018

    March 16, 2018


    ARCTIC ULTRA – The Romanian Tiberiu Useriu, aged 44, last night won, for the third time in a row, the 6633 Arctic Ultra, the most difficult marathon in the world, organized in the polar circle area. The race started on March 8th, and Tiberiu Useriu managed to conclude it after 7 days and 5 hours. Another three Romanians participated in the marathon: Avram Iancu, the first Romanian to swim the English Channel, and also Florentina Iofcea and Polgar Levente. Unfortunately, all three of them had to pull out before the end of the race.



    IMF – Jaewoo Lee, the head of the IMF Mission for Romania, together with Alejandro Hajdenberg, the Resident Representative for Romania, are today presenting the conclusions of the visit that IMF experts have paid to Bucharest for a week. The IMF recommends a balanced mix of monetary and fiscal policies and support for investments, for the growth rate registered last year to be maintained this year. During talks with Romanian officials, the international experts highlighted the importance of improving budget collection and maintaining expenditure within reasonable limits. Currently, Bucharest no longer has a financing agreement with the IMF, but the latter carries out an annual assessment of the Romanian economy. This is a surveillance exercise that all member states must undergo.



    DNA – The Superior Council of Magistracy has published the motivation for the negative opinion it issued with regard to the Justice Ministers request to remove Laura Codruta Kovesi from the office of Chief-Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). The Council states in the motivation that the request for dismissal made no reference to any violation of responsibility or to the managerial component targeted by the request. According to the prosecutors department of the Council, carrying out certain criminal procedures in a manner that is different from a previous interpretation of the Constitutional Court cannot be interpreted as a violation of responsibilities. The opinion issued by the Council of Magistracy is only advisory. According to the law, president Klaus Iohannis must make a decision with regard to Kovesis dismissal. He has stated though that both the National Anticorruption Directorate and its Chief Prosecutor have done a good job. We recall that Minister Tudorel Toader requested last month the removal of Laura Codruta Kovesi and presented 20 arguments to support his request. However, at the meeting of the Superior Council of Magistracy held two weeks ago, the Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi stated that the reasons invoked by Toader were unreal, ungrounded and unproven.



    POVERTY – The risk poverty among the employed population in Romania was almost double in 2016 as compared to the EU average, according to data made public by Eurostat on Friday. Romania registered the highest rate in the EU (18.9%), followed by Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy and Bulgaria. The lowest risk of poverty was registered by Finland, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Ireland. On the other hand, the annual inflation rate in the EU dropped in 18 member states, stayed flat in two countries, and increased in seven, including Romania. In Bucharest, data published earlier by the National Statistics Institute show that in February the annual inflation rate went up to 4.7%, from 4.3% in January 2018, against the background of consumption goods becoming more expensive. For the end of the year 2019, the National Bank of Romania estimates an inflation rate of 3.1%.



    INVESTIGATION – British authorities have announced the resumption of investigations into a string of suspect deaths that have occurred in the past years on British soil, and also after the poisoning of the former Russian spy Serghei Skripal and his daughter. Great Britain, Germany, France and the US have issued a joint statement, saying that the only plausible explanation is Russias involvement. On the other side, Russia has termed the allegations a nonsense. The Salisbury attack will be the main subject on the agenda of the meeting that the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will have with the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Stoltenberg has stated that the incident is evidence of Moscows reckless behavior for years. The NATO report presented on Thursday states that Russia is the main threat to the organization, against the background of Crimeas annexation, the support provided to the separatists in eastern Ukraine, the military presence in Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, the interference in the Western Balkan area and the attempts to undermine democratic elections and institutions.



    BOOK FAIR – As of today, Romania is one of the 45 participants in the Paris Book Fair, which has reached its 38th edition. Under the logo “Romania as you have never read it before”, the Romanian stand presents more than 50 recent titles and some 20 events, enjoying the participation of writers, translators, editors and diplomats. Also, Romania is a guest of honour at the International Book Fair in Leipzig, Germany, which started on Thursday. “Zoom in Romania” is the motto of Romanias participation, aimed at promoting Romanian contemporary authors in more than 70 events.




  • Romania and the US Missile Defense Shield

    Romania and the US Missile Defense Shield

    The facility in Deveselu is part of a US
    anti-missile defense system deployed in several allied states. The system
    includes a ground radar in Turkey, four US Navy battleships fitted with
    anti-missile systems in Spain, and a military command hub at the Rammstein air
    base in Germany, as well as a second ground interceptor facility to be built in
    Poland, which will achieve operational status in 2018.

    Political leaders in
    Bucharest, including President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos,
    Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu and Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc, have
    highlighted the purely defensive purpose of the anti-ballistic shield.
    Previously, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Arms Control, Frank Rose, had
    stated that the shield in Deveselu was primarily seeking to protect Europe
    against ballistic short and medium-ranged missiles that could be launched from
    the Middle East. Attending the opening ceremony, the NATO Secretary General
    Jens Stoltenberg said: This site in Romania – as
    well as the one in Poland- are not directed against Russia. The interceptors
    are too few, and located too far south or too close to Russia, to be able to
    intercept Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are designed instead
    to tackle the potential threat posed by short and medium- range attacks from
    outside the Euro-Atlantic area.

    The event has nevertheless fueled Western
    fears regarding Russia’s potential retaliation. With the illegal annexation of Crimea and with the Federation’s constant support for break-away rebels in
    Eastern Ukraine, many expect Russia to respond to this Aegis Ashore facility
    with hostility. The Secretary General Stoltenberg also said that NATO saw no
    contradiction between a strong defense, a firm and predictable NATO commitment
    and the attempt to have a dialogue with Russia, between transparency and
    actions aimed at curbing threats, given that Russia’s increased military
    presence alongside NATO’s borders has given rise to more risks and threats.

    Russia has criticized the installment of the anti-ballistic shield in Europe,
    claiming it’s a threat to its security interests. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitri
    Peskov has stated that Moscow will
    respond by strengthening its own military capabilities. Military
    analysts say, however, that the relations between Russia and NATO are not
    likely to deteriorate, as Russia’s response to NATO’s European shield has only
    been of a verbal nature so far.

  • US anti-ballistic shield in Romania

    US anti-ballistic shield in Romania

    “It’s an important day for everyone. Today we open the facility in Deveselu”, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis exulted on Thursday morning upon receiving in Bucharest the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, only a few hours before the activation of the anti-ballistic shield in Deveselu, southern Romania. The day before the president had reiterated the purely defensive purpose of the shield and its role in fulfilling NATO’s underlying mission, namely to ensure the collective defense of its member states.



    In turn, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said Romania has from the very beginning supported Allied efforts to achieve ballistic defense. Bucharest officials have repeatedly highlighted the fact that the anti-ballistic shield does not target Russia. In turn, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Frank Rose, said that system in Deveselu seeks to protect Europe against short- and medium-ranged missiles that might be launched from the Middle East. Iran continues to develop, test and deploy a wide range of short and medium-ranged military capabilities, the US official said, adding that in recent months the Iranians have tested medium-ranged missiles that might reach Europe, including Romania.



    According to the US State Department, the military facility in southern Romania is key to NATO’s anti-ballistic defense system, also signaling the strength of the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership and the US commitment towards European and Euro-Atlantic security. Radio Romania’s Moscow correspondent says Russia does not consider the shield as a threat to its offensive nuclear potential, although it feels obliged to respond to US actions by modernizing its ballistic missiles. US analysts had previously warned that Western countries should expect a military response from Moscow.



    Russia might respond to the opening of the military facility in Romania by deploying troops or carrying out military exercises alongside Russia’s western borders. Another possible risk would be for Russia to break the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which forbids ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 km. The anti-ballistic shield in Deveselu is part of a broader ballistic defense system the US has been installing in several allied states.



    Other components include a ground radar facility in Turkey, four US Navy battleships fitted with anti-ballistic capabilities in Spain, a command hub at the Rammstein Air Base in Germany, as well as a second anti-ballistic facility in Poland, which will achieve operational status in 2018.



    (Translated by Vlad Palcu)