MoND leadership’s meeting with the Chairman of NATO Military Committee

MoND leadership's meeting with the Chairman of NATO Military Committee

Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad, had a meeting on Thursday, May 7th, at the MoND headquarters, with the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, as part of the allied official's visit to Romania.

In the context of the current challenges and major threats posed to the Alliance, as well as in light of achieving concrete results at the Ankara NATO Summit (July 7-8, 2026), Minister Miruță and Admiral Dragone emphasized the need to continue implementing measures to strengthen the Allied deterrence and defence posture. At the same time, the Romanian official stressed the priorities for the NATO high-level meeting in Ankara and the strategic importance of the Black Sea for ensuring the stability and security of the Euro-Atlantic region.

"Romania is fully committed to advancing the efforts dedicated to ensuring security and stability in the Black Sea region, within Allied context, given the need for a coherent approach to all measures taken on NATO's Eastern Flank, with emphasis on the support for capabilities to counter drones that violate the national airspace," the Romanian Minister of National Defence stated.

The officials also reiterated the importance of implementing the major decisions adopted at the Hague NATO Summit in June 2025, regarding the increase in defence investments up to 5% of GDP, of which 3.5% for defence and 1.5% for defence-related areas, such as infrastructure and resilience. In this context, Romania allocates around 38% of its defence budget for procurement programs, and, thus, asserts itself as an important contributor both to strengthening the allied posture and to continuing support for Ukraine.

During the talks, the officials also addressed Romania's contribution to the Euro-Atlantic security, the participation of the Romanian military personnel in NATO missions and operations, as well as the multidimensional support provided to Ukraine.

"Romania remains a responsible and active ally, deeply committed to strengthening collective security. The presence of the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Bucharest sends a clear message regarding allied unity, cohesion and the strategic importance of the Eastern Flank. In the current security context, close cooperation between allies and our ability to quickly adapt are essential elements for maintaining regional stability," the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad stated.

The Press Office