Romania inaugurated on Monday the NATO Multinational Division Southeast in Bucharest, which will coordinate NATO's operations in Romania and Bulgaria. Some 280 militaries will work in this center, including 75 from other NATO member states.

Romania’s Dacica 1st Infantry Division handed over command to the Multinational Division Southeast on Monday, August 31.

During the ceremony, Brigade General Ovidiu-Liviu Uifaleanu was appointed commander of NATO’s Multinational Division Southeast, according to a statement of the Romanian Ministry of Defense. Before taking over this position, Uifaleanu was the commander of “General Grigore Balan” 81st Mechanized Brigade.

Between 2006 and 2009, Colonel Ovidiu Uifaleanu served as commander of “Soimii Carpatilor” 812th Infantry Battalion, which took part in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan in 2007. In 2003, he participated in NATO’s mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports local Hotnews.ro. He graduated from Mihai Viteazul Military High School, and also completed the NATO policy and concepts course in Germany, the course on armed conflict laws in Turkey, and graduated from the US Army War College.

Romania pledged to help strengthen the NATO force structure by establishing a command center that will provide additional options for the management of Alliance missions in the southern area of the eastern flank. The project should become completely operational by 2018.

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