At the "Three Seas Initiative" summit, adaptation of the project to the new regional context will be discussed

A new edition of the "Three Seas Initiative" summit takes place today in Vilnius, Lithuania. Leaders of participating countries will discuss how this political project should develop and adapt to the new regional context.

President Klaus Iohannis will call on the meeting to boost connectivity between the 13 EU countries - members of the Initiative - and the partner countries, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Yesterday, the head of state attended, together with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the conference "Romania- NATO, 20 years", organised by the Ministry of National Defence.

The current context generated by the war at our borders increases Romania's relevance as a pillar of regional security and stability, said President Klaus Iohannis, who stressed that Romania must intensify its efforts to strengthen the reserve of military personnel, revitalise the national defence industry and modernise the transport infrastructure.

"The defence of our citizens is one of the fundamental obligations of the Romanian state. However, the safety of the people cannot be guaranteed without an army equipped with modern technology. Starting in 2023, Romania has increased the allocation of GDP to defence from 2% to 2.5%, i.e. to equip the Romanian Army, to motivate, train and improve our military and to increase the level of interoperability with allied forces", said Klaus Iohannis.

Joining NATO meant Romania's return to the community of Western democratic values and principles, said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

"Today, Romania is irreversibly anchored in the Euro-Atlantic community and represents, in turn, a strategic anchor for NATO on the eastern flank. Romania remains a mature and credible ally, proactive and able to act in a sustained manner to achieve its own objectives and protect allied values", said Marcel Ciolacu.

Translated by: Radu Matei