Romania aims to convince NATO to approve the rotational presence of a multinational brigade in the country and a joint fleet in the Black Sea at the Warsaw summit in July . The maritime force would be called “enhanced cooperation” for diplomatic reasons and would also include Ukrainian and Georgian ships, Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc said in an interview for local Hotnews.ro.

The Minister also talked about Romania's objectives at the NATO Summit to be organized in July. The Bucharest officials hope that the allies will adopt a strategy for preventing and countering hybrid threats and that NATO will shift from the current insurance-reinsurance policy to a policy of long-term strategic adaptation to threats and risks from both the east and the south.

Mihnea Motoc also announced the start of new programs aimed at equipping the Romanian army with armored personnel carriers, multipurpose corvettes for the Navy, and new F16 planes. The first armored personnel carriers could be purchased this year.

Romania’s frigates will also be modernized. The first frigate should be ready by 2018, and the second by 2020. Romania will pay almost EUR 190 mln to modernize frigates. A consortium of Turkish and Romanian companies have already announced their intention to bid for this contract. British companies may also be interested in modernizing the two frigates that Romania bought from the British Royal Navy in 2003.

Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos announced in early-March that Romania wanted an active NATO presence in the Black Sea region. 

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Ministerul Apararii Nationale, Romania on Facebook)