Iohannis: The Defence Ministry’s efforts should focus on strengthening NATO’s strategic profile

„This year, the Ministry of National Defence will have to focus its efforts on achieving concrete goals: strengthening the strategic profile within NATO and the EU, accelerating the development of the Army’s operational capacity, as well as initiating and carrying out the endowment programs, in view the assurance of new capabilities necessary for the structure of forces”, Klaus Iohannis said, at an event for presenting the report on the activity carried out by the Ministry of National Defence in 2019.

Romania will continue to allocate this year a budget of 2% of GDP for the Ministry of National Defence, money that must be ensured and the working and living conditions of the military must be improved, Klaus Iohannis added.

„Of these amounts allocated to the field of defence it must be ensured the improvement of the working and living conditions of the military, the most valuable resource of the army and ours, those who bear the responsibility of the country’s defence”, the president of Romania has said.

„The Romanian military also makes a major contribution to NATO and EU operations and missions, in particular to the RESOLVED SUPPORT mission in Afghanistan, as well as to NATO KFOR and EU ALTHEA operations in Balkans and NATO’s mission in Iraq. Also, it is very important to continue the Romanian participation in the battle group in Poland, which materializes the consolidated advanced presence”, Klaus Iohannis concluded.