DefMin Ciuca: Setting up of Headquarters Multinational Division South-East will help strengthening defence on Eastern flank

The Headquarters Multinational Division South-East (HQ MND-SE) will help strengthen the deterrence and defence position of NATO's Eastern flank, Defence Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca said, according to a press release of the Ministry of National Defence.

The clarifications were made after the Parliament adopted on Thursday, in the joint sitting of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the decision for the establishment of the Headquarters Multinational Division South-East (HQ MND-SE) in the Sibiu garrison, with a temporary deployment to the Bucharest garrison.

"Romania's initiative has been appreciated by NATO and accepted by allies, highlighting the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and the need to increase the allied presence in this region. The Headquarters Multinational Division South-East will help strengthen the deterrence and defence position of NATO's Eastern flank and it will also give coherence to the chain of command and control at the regional level," said the Minister of National Defence, Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca.

The decision to establish the command was adopted following the proposal of the President of Romania at the request of the Ministry of National Defence and with the approval of the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT), in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 291/2007 on entry, stationing, conducting or conducting operations foreign territory on the Romanian territory.

"In the context of the radical change of the international security environment and based on the international commitments assumed by Romania, our country presented an offer to establish on the national territory a multinational command and control capability in the terrestrial field - HQ MNC-SE, which will be made available to NATO, as an integrating element of the national and allied defence plans," specified the Ministry of National Defence.

HQ MNC-SE will have the status of an international military command, subordinated to an allied command, outside the national command and control structure.

"Regarding the organization, operation, staffing and other details necessary for the accomplishment of the HQ MNC-SE mission, these will be established by agreements concluded by the Ministry of National Defence with the military authorities of NATO and the participating allied states, and the deployment of the Command to missions outside the territory. the Romanian state will be executed at the order of the NATO military authorities," the press release also states.