Romanian brigade to be transformed into multinational one

NATO will transform a Romanian brigade into a multinational one, in order to boost its presence in Southeast Europe, General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated on Friday at an expert forum held in Warsaw, Poland, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.

The move is part of NATO’s strategy to enhance its forward presence in the eastern region of the Alliance, namely in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. “We will deploy, by rotation, a robust, multinational battalion in each of the countries. Making clear that an attack against one Ally will be met by forces from across the Alliance,” Stoltenberg said in his speech at the Warsaw Summit Experts’ Forum.

In addition, the Alliance will increase defences “against hybrid threats, cyber-attacks, and ballistic missile attacks from outside the Euro-Atlantic area” while keeping its actions “defensive, proportionate and transparent and fully consistent with our international obligations.”

“NATO does not seek confrontation,” NATO’s Secretary General stressed. “We do not want a new Cold War. The Cold War is history. And it should remain history,” he stressed, adding that the Alliance will look to further its relation with Russia via the NATO-Russia Council.

“We will continue to seek constructive and meaningful dialogue with Russia. To make our intentions clear. To dispel any misunderstandings. And to reduce the risk of military incidents or accidents spiralling out of control. Russia is our biggest neighbour and an integral part of European security. So sustaining dialogue is essential. That is why we established the NATO-Russia Council, as an all-weather forum for dialogue. So it is especially important that we use this tool now,” Stoltenberg said.