The NATO Summit agenda, Romania’s positions tackled during this high – level reunion of the Alliance, the additional armed forces that must be sent to Afghanistan – are the main issues approached by the Defense Minister, Mr. Teodor Melescanu, in an interview for ROMPRES.
ROMPRES: Mr. Teodor Melescanu, from the Minister of Defense’s point of view, which are the main challenges of the next week Bucharest NATO Summit?
Teodor Melescanu: It is one of the most important NATO Summits, not only because of the large number of the participants, but mainly because the issues to be tackled during the Summit are vital to the NATO strategy for the next years, concerning both the Alliance enlargement and the relationships with other partners that are not NATO members and do not have the intention to join the Alliance. The Summit is also important because there are some issues included on the NATO agenda for the first time – the anti – missile defense, the energetic security and the information security.
At the Bucharest Summit, from our viewpoint, the main issue on the Summit agenda will be to transmit a solidary message on all topics mentioned before. They are vital not only for the security of all member states, but also for the world security and stability.
ROMPRES: What will Romania’s position be during the NATO Summit? What concrete proposals will the Romanian party make to their allied states?
Teodor Melescanu: Firstly, Romania has a very clear position on the NATO enlargement. From our viewpoint, we support the three candidate – states’ efforts to join the Alliance – Croatia, Macedonia and Albania – and we transmit a clear message to all the other countries in the West Balkans – Serbia, Muntenegru and Bosnia Hertegovina –on the “open gates” NATO policy. We consider that the dialogue between these countries and NATO and, finally, their accession in the Alliance should remain objectives of the North – Atlantic Alliance.
Romania also stands for Ukraine and Georgia to receive the Membership Action Plan necessary for their accession to NATO. The plan offers these states the perspective of a possible future NATO membership. We support our position on this matter. All the member state must reach an agreement on this issue, therefore, it is very difficult for me to say what the final decision of the other NATO countries will be.
Secondly, Romania has a very clear position on the anti – missile defense. We insist to mention the principle of allied solidarity and of strategic unity in the declaration to be adopted. Romania is convinced that the American anti – missile system represents a major contribution to the territorial defense of some state members or of most of the member states, but in the same time, we are fully aware that the territories of other countries are not completely protected. Our opinion is that one of the NATO’s priorities for the next years should be to ensure complete territorial protection for all NATO countries, by using the NATO complementary system to the American anti – missile system that is to be installed in the Czech Republic and Poland.
ROMPRES: Is the Ministry of Defense prepared to send additional armed forces to Afghanistan or to diversify the Romanian missions in this country?
Teodor Melescanu: At present, the Ministry of Defense is in a limit – situation regarding our armed forces that take part in different missions or theaters of operation. I refer to both our human, material
and financial resources.
It is unlikely that Romania will be able to commit to other additional efforts. But, we are prepared to reexamine the possibility of redefining the missions of some armed forces in Afghanistan, in the sense of focusing on missions to support the Afghan National Army and to assist and train them so that they should be able to take responsibility of most of the military duties that, today, are performed by the coalition member states in Afghanistan.
Romania has the intention to send more military trainers for the Afghan National Army. We talk about a small number of military trainers.
In case it is required, in our area of responsibility - Zabul - in order to maintain the best conditions and due to some changes concerning our allies, we might have to redefine our position and to react.
I would like to restate the fact that we will not have a substantial increase in the number of our military men in Afghanistan, under the circumstances mentioned before – human and material resources and budgetary limits for this year.
ROMPRES: Even if my question might not exactly be only for the Defense Ministry, I would still like to ask you if, at the Bucharest NATO Summit, Romania will support the already known efforts of the president Nicolas Sarkozy to “bring France closer” to NATO in three stages, one of them being the Bucharest Summit.
Teodor Melescanu: As you personally noticed, first of all it is a political matter. I would like to say that, as a Defense Ministry, I will gladly support any measure meant to more actively imply France in the military structures (NATO military structures – editor’s note), because France is a country with important military possibilities and I consider that it should be taken as a good sign for the Alliance solidarity.
ROMPRES: If it is the case, at the Bucharest Summit, will Romania reinforce its position on the Kosovo matter?
Teodor Melescanu: Yes, we will definitely reinforce our position in a very clear manner. We consider that Kosovo’s unilateral self-proclaimed independence does not meet all the conditions to be recognized as an independent state, both from the principle reasons regarding the norms of the international laws, and from practical reasons, as Kosovo does not have its frontiers recognized by some of its neighbours.
(Source: Rompres)
