RRA Exclusive interview: NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană

The best policy of the North Atlantic Alliance is to invest in the capacity of states to face, alone or with limited support from the international community, challenges that terrorism continues to pose, in a severe manner - said Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General, in an interview offered to RRA Reporter Nicu Popescu.

Nicu Popescu: These days, the political, diplomatic and military world has a lot to monitor - NATO Ministerial Conference in Brussels or Security Conference in Munich. What are the current security challenges?

Mircea Geoană: The world is changing from both geopolitical and geoeconomic point of view. Technologies that change the way we live and work amplify these transformations,hence challenges change accordingly on a global level. The North Atlantic Alliance - which already has 70 years of exceptional success, we proudly say it and we want to keep it for generations to come as the most successful alliance in human history – takes these transformations and challenges very seriously, and the meeting of defense ministers from the allied states, including talks with partners from outside the Alliance, from Europe and around the world, has shown that we are capable of responding credibly to these challenges.

Agenda we have debated in the last two days reflects these challenges and opportunities. We have talked a lot about the situation in the Middle East. NATO will step up its efforts to prepare and strengthen Iraq's military and security structures. The best policy is to invest in the capacity of those states to cope alone, or with limited support from the international community, to the challenges that mainly terrorism continues to pose, in a very severe way. We have discussed adaptation of NATO defense to technological developments in the Russian Federation and to announcements repeatedly made by President Putin about a new generation of weapons.The Alliance is capable of ensuring, as every time, the protection and security of nearly one billion citizens belonging to the Allied countries.

We have also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. There is this wish of ours to be sure that now, when there are hopefuly credible chances to reach a negotiated formula to end this war that lasts for almost two decades, we can assist toghether to the transformation of Afghanistan, from a country that, for decades, has been living in a non-stop war, to a stable country that can devote its time and resources to develop and never again to become a place where international terrorism can find shelter.

We have also had the opportunity to talk with Finland and Sweden, our European partners. EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, is here, at this kind of NATO meetings, for the first time. Also Romanian Defense Minister, Mr. Ciucă, who has an impressive military career and, talking about Afghanistan, has many friends within the Alliance. It is an important moment (...). Such important meetings allow us to maintain vigilance, the capacity of permanent adaptation to a changing world and challenges that may come.

Nicu Popescu: Official opening of the Ministerial Conference was preceded by launching of a special photo exhibition of a Radio Romania War Correspondent, in the new building of NATO headquarters.

Mircea Geoană: I was extremely pleased to attend it and respond to the invitation of Romanian Ambassador to NATO, Stelian Stoian, in the presence of Minister of Defense, Nicolae Ciucă. Radio Romania War Correspondent Ilie Pintea is an exceptional and talented photographer, he has extremely impressive photos from Afghanistan, with Romanian troops or afghan children. It was, indeed, a moment of great emotion, a minimal gesture of gratitude for the heroism of our military. I tell you this - as someone who has worked a lifetime to integrate Romania into NATO and the European Union - that without these people, our path today would probably have been different. Our brave military men, today in large numbers, are in Afghanistan and have demonstrated over the years heroism and devotion to the cause of our common alliance.

Nicu Popescu: You attend the Munich Security Conference. What should we expect from this event?

Mircea Geoană: It is a global conference, sort of a DAVOS in the field of security. A conference attended by the most influential leaders at European, transatlantic and global level (..) NATO Secretary General, Mr. Stoltenberg, President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who is here for the first time, delegations from the American Congress, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, President of France, Emmanuel Macron, President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Romanian delegation. It is a meeting of the utmost importance and I am glad that the Atlantic Alliance is represented at the highest level, at this conference, where I hope we can give a message of trust and unity in the transatlantic world.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei