Romanian Diplomacy Meeting/Geoana: Romania is a vital NATO ally acting as regional pivot

Romania is a "vital ally" of NATO and has the role of "regional pivot" in defending and discouraging threats against the Alliance, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said on Tuesday.

He sent a video message to the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy.

"Romania is indeed a vital ally in NATO and Romania's role as a regional pivot in defending and deterring threats from the East and other areas is very, very important. Two percent of Romania's GDP for defence spending is not an expense, but an investment. It is an investment in a stronger Romania that is more able to defend its own interests and that is obviously enhanced by the way in which NATO and its bilateral allies invest in Romania's security," said Geoana.

He spoke about NATO-EU complementarity and the related role of Romania.

"Romania is perceived as a strong defender of both vibrant transatlantic ties and a sincere champion of European integration. Because, in fact, NATO and the EU, the EU and NATO are two sides of the same coin and investing in the synergy and complementarity between NATO and the EU, avoiding duplication, avoiding unnecessary competition, is a natural and credible thing to do for Romanian diplomats and Romanian leaders. Romania is an essential nation, with a unique role and a multiregional scope," said Geoana.

According to Geoana, "Romania can and must play the champion of what it means to transform the lessons learned in the field of resilience, of the impact of multiple crises on society," the NATO Deputy Secretary General said.

Geoana also spoke about the threats that have not disappeared amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"This pandemic should not lead us to the idea that older challenges have disappeared. No, on the contrary, they are amplified. Russia continues its pattern of aggressive behaviour, with disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks and military actions. Russia has massively increased its defence spending, modernised its armed forces and increased the scope and complexity of its exercises," said Geoana.