NATO Day is celebrated in Romania on Sunday, according to a law stipulating since 2005 that this day is marked in our country on the first day of April every year. The date was chosen considering the official date that Romania joined NATO (March 29 2004) and the date of flying the Romanian flag at the NATO HQs in Brussels on April 2, 2004.
President Klaus Iohannis has sent a message on this occasion Sunday, stating that Romania has become a regional stability pillar and that the permanent adjusting process must continue so that our country should enhance this statute.
“NATO Day represents a special moment for Romania, having a double meaning: we celebrate 69 years since signing the Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949, the foundation act of the North Atlantic Alliance, and also 14 years since our admission into the most powerful political and military Alliance in the history, in March 2004. The pro-Western vocation of our country received at that moment, an unequivocal confirmation. Romania has officially become a full-fledged member state within the family of nations which are guiding their present and building their future based on the values of freedom, democracy and rule of law, as well as of the joint security and defence interests.”
According to Iohannis, NATO has proved over time that it has the capacity of adapting and evolving, which is essential for the organization that is facing now multiple threats.
“Our country has become a regional stability pillar and in order to enhance this statute the permanent adaptation process must go on. We are committed next to our allies in the theatre of operations, such as the one in Afghanistan, as well as in the Alliance’s command and training centers, and our contributions are very praised. Romania will continue to respect its commitments on allotting those 2 pc of the GDP to the defence sector and on developing capabilities, as well as the national contribution to missions, operations and activities, according to the allied mission on burden sharing. These commitments and efforts are for Romania’s direct interest, which is this better defended and also represents a valuable contribution to strengthening the transatlantic relation,” the President pointed out.
The head of state added that the NATO Summit due in Brussels this year will be a new major benchmark in the Alliance’s process to adapt to the current security challenges and threats.
In her turn, PM Viorica Dancila has said on Sunday that Romanians have the same confidence as in the beginning in the security safeguard provided by the NATO membership.
“All these years meant a profound transformation of the Romanian Army into a truly professional army, but also meant Romania’s substantial contributions to the NATO operations and missions. It’s a track that we have assumed with all our responsibility, we enjoy the confidence and respect of our North-Atlantic partners and we want to keep proving that we are a stable and reliable partner in the Black Sea region. I convey my respect to all those who have contributed to this, sometimes, unfortunately, even at the cost of the supreme sacrifice,” the premier said.
Dancila added that the Defence represent a priority sector, considering the complicated geopolitical context and the security challenges that Romania has faced lately.