Romania celebrates ten years of NATO membership

March 29 marked ten years since Romania deposited in Washington, U.S. the instrument of ratification of the Protocol on accession to the North Atlantic Treaty, then followed by the ceremony of hoisting Romania’s flag before the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, on April 2, 2004, in the margin of the meeting of Allied ministers, writes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on their official website. Romania was the first ex-communist state to join the Partnership for Peace programme, NATO’s most complex format for cooperation with partner states.

“Accession to NATO was a historic moment for Romania, both because it sanctioned its belonging to the Euro-Atlantic system of values, and as it provided the strongest security guarantees ever in the contemporary history of Romania, to the direct benefit of Romanian citizens and of the democratic, stable and prosperous development of Romanian society,” stated Titus Corlăţean, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania contributes actively to the missions and operations of the Alliance and takes part in developing its capabilities. Romania’s success in NATO would not have been possible without the sacrifice and heroism of the Romanian troops who fought shoulder to shoulder with Allied troops and, without exception, fulfilled their missions.

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies celebrates today, on April 1, the ten years of NATO membership as well as 65 years of Alliance existence, having a ceremony with president Traian Basescu, PM Victor Ponta, MEPs, ex-presidents, PMs and ministers. The event will start with a commemoration moment for all those 26 Romanians that lost their lives in war theatres all over the world.

Photo: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Titus Corlatean shaking hands with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen / courtesy of www.nato.int