President: Romanian Will Continue To Grant 2% Of Budget For Defense Spending

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that Romania will continue to keep its commitment of allotting 2% of its national budget for defense spending, in a stamenent made during the yearly meeting with chiefs of diplomatic missions in Bucharest.

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During the event, the Romanian head of state also said that his country will continue to support the strengthening of NATO. and will work towards consolidating its eastern flank.

“We will continue to allot 2% for defense spending, as we committed alliance-wide. As for regional cooperation, Romania will continue to support already established successful formats. We are waiting with interest for the Bucharest 9 Initiative Summit in February, in Slovakia, which continues the successful summit we co-led last year in Warsaw,” said the Romanian head of state.

Iohannis also commented on the complicated process of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, stating the withdrawal agreement which was rejected by the EU Parliament continues to be the best instrument for limiting the process' negative consequences.

“We will make efforts to facilitate the passing of measures proposed by the European Commission to ensure that the Union is adequately prepared for Great Britain’s withdrawal, in any scenario. The priority we followed in negotiations with London was protecting the rights of EU citizens in the United Kingdom and we will continue to follow this,” said the Romanian President.

The Romanian head of state also discussed Romania’s candidacy for acceding to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), deeming the country's candidacy a “strong one”.

Among Romania’s priorities for its EU Council presidency, the president noted Brexit, migration, challenges to European security, the MEP elections and the process of negotiating the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

He added that another priority is the policy of extending the European Union, with Romania set to continue efforts to support acceleration of the unions’s extension into the Western Balkans.

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