(C) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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Romanian president: A vision for NATO’s future [1]

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Date: 2024-03-12 15:30:53+00:00

Solidarity, unity and cohesion are the cornerstones of NATO, fit for an ever-evolving environment thanks to decades of meaningful transformation and adaptation. Moving forward, the transatlantic bond is, and will, continue to be at its very core, underpinned by the ironclad commitment enshrined in the collective defense clause of the Washington Treaty’s Article 5.

However, today we are faced with threats and challenges from all directions, including the return of war to the European Continent — a reality we had considered forever relegated to the pages of history. One of the important lessons we have learned is that the stronger Europe is within NATO, the more secure the entire Alliance becomes. To this end, the recent accessions of Finland and Sweden have proved NATO’s vitality — and that our door remains open.

NATO has the necessary strength and ability to overcome any hurdle, and we will do so by building on our commitments, achievements and, not least, our unity of values. But as our world grows more complex and unpredictable, NATO must also change and adapt.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shattered peace and gravely altered our security environment, reverberating beyond the confines of the Euro-Atlantic area. And Russia will remain the most significant and direct threat to the Alliance for the foreseeable future.

Terrorism, pervasive instability, rising strategic competition and advancing authoritarianism — all of these challenge NATO’s interests and values. Malign actions from states and non-state actors alike are having a disruptive effect on the inner fabric of our societies. Meanwhile, the erosion of the arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation architecture, which we have been building for years, further undermines our strategic stability.

To tackle this wide spectrum of threats and challenges, NATO must be properly equipped. The Alliance’s key purpose is to ensure the collective defense of all Allies by fulfilling its three core tasks of deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security. As such, building on ongoing political and military adaptation, we must make NATO even stronger.

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[1] Url: https://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-president-a-vision-for-natos-future/

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