NATO is the most important and strongest political and defense organization in history, and its importance is even greater in the extremely complex context we are going through, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said today on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the accession of Romania to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, reported Agerpress, quoted by BTA.
During these 20 years since Romania's accession, "the number of international security crises has increased significantly, culminating in the illegal, illegitimate and unprovoked war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine,", Iohannis stressed, according to a statement from the presidential administration. .
He reminded that since 2004, Romania has contributed to all the Alliance's efforts to ensure the security and prosperity of the member countries.
"Our country has shown itself to be an important partner in the development of the Alliance's deterrence and defense efforts on the Eastern Flank, including through the deployment of the anti-missile shield in Deveselu and by strengthening, together with NATO allies, the security of Black Sea", noted Klaus Iohannis.
In his words, over the years Romania has proven its "status as an important regional and Euro-Atlantic security provider, contributing to a significant number of NATO missions and operations".
For his part, Prime Minister Marcel Çolaku emphasized that during the 20 years of membership in NATO, Romania has become an important pillar and has strengthened its position in the Alliance, respecting its commitments to security in the Black Sea area.
"We will continue to be an influential and constructive participant in NATO to strengthen and develop our alliance in such a way that collective security guarantees give Romanians the stability and security they need for Romania's development" , Cholaku wrote in a Facebook post.
The Romanian government also welcomed the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the country's accession to NATO, stressing that during this period Romania strengthened its profile as a responsible ally actively involved in the promotion of democratic values and principles, security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. space and beyond.
The announcement noted that "today more than ever the Eastern Flank, the Eastern Neighborhood and the Black Sea have become central issues on the Allied agenda, and Romania benefits from an increased Allied presence and a strengthened deterrence and defense posture of NATO on the territory of the country and in the region".