Klaus Iohannis officially announced today what had already been rumored for several months, namely the fact that he wants to become the next Secretary General of NATO, the President of Romania officially launching his candidacy for the head of the most powerful military alliance in the world .
Klaus Iohannis faces Mark Rutte for the head of NATO
I decided to enter the competition for the position of Secretary General of NATO. I undertake this candidacy on behalf of Romania with all responsibility, and this decision is based on Romania's performance, the experience accumulated during the two mandates of President of Romania, the deep understanding of the challenges faced by NATO, Europe, and especially our region, and my firm commitment to NATO's core values and objectives.
We are living in the most difficult times from the point of view of security in recent decades, but we, the Romanians, feel protected precisely because we are members of the North Atlantic Alliance.
A military conflict in Europe is a reality that a few years ago seemed improbable. Russia is proving to be a serious and long-term threat to our continent, to our Euro-Atlantic security.
Under these conditions, NATO's borders become of paramount importance, and the strengthening of the Eastern Flank, which also includes Romania, will remain a long-term priority.
In all this complicated context, our country has proven to be a pillar of stability and security in the region. As a major priority, from the beginning of my first mandate as President of Romania, I initiated and negotiated with all the parliamentary parties a National Pact that provided for the allocation of 2% of GDP for Defense, and now we have reached the allocation of 2,5% of GDP, which means significant resources for developing our military capabilities and capabilities.
We are among the Allies who understood and assumed this commitment from the beginning.
Romania contributed and contributes to NATO missions and operations. We have a significant military presence in the Western Balkans, are of the highest interest and contribute directly to the security of the Black Sea.
We unconditionally support Ukraine and consistently contribute to the strong support of Alliance partners, especially the most vulnerable.
At the same time, within the Supreme National Defense Council, we adopted strategies and measures for the Romanian Army to modernize completely and at the same pace as our Allies.
We have a complicated neighborhood with Russia, we have always been aware of the risks and threats arising from this situation and we have thoroughly prepared to ensure our citizens full security.
Romania would not have been able to develop economically, would not have attracted capital and investors to contribute to the increase in the standard of living, if there had not been solid guarantees regarding national security. And these guarantees are directly related to the military modernization of our country, but also to our membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.
