Mircea Geoană: "NATO is in impeccable health today"

North Atlantic Alliance is the international organization that has adapted most rapidly to global change, and this adaptation process must be ongoing, says NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană.

Looking ahead to next week's London Summit, where Allied leaders will discuss NATO's future, Mircea Geoană says the transatlantic relationship is important and must be maintained. He referred to recent criticism of President of France, who asserted that NATO could no longer rely on America's support. In an interview with Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, Amalia Bojescu, NATO Deputy Secretary-General says that Thursday's meeting in Paris between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President Emmanuel Macron has reached his goal to clarify these issues.

Mircea Geoană: "When divergent opinions sometimes arise among allies, you have to discuss them directly and this meeting has reached its purpose. The two leaders had a frank, open discussion. France is a very important country, both in NATO and in the European Union, and for Romania it is a very important ally and partner. Nothing that the EU is building as a defense policy bothers NATO, as long as things are complementary".

RRA correspondent in Brussels, Amalia Bojescu: There are talks about a transformation, reforming of the Alliance. I’m referring to those proposals coming from Germany and France.

Mircea Geoană: "We are an alliance that has adapted faster than any other international organization, to the changes at global level. If there’s a need for discussion at the levels of Alliance leaders, this is to talk about the needs to have a strengthened political dimension of the Alliance. If we really want to be able to adapt, as institutions of the democratic West, to the changes at global level, we can only do so by maintaining the strong transatlantic relationship, strengthening the European pillar in NATO, having a more robust EU. The Alliance is in impeccable health today, but if the world changes around us - we too must change, and the adaptation process is virtually a non-stop one".

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei