Romania to meet NATO criteria by Prague summit next year

Romania will meet the military criteria for NATO accession by the Prague summit next year, said George Maior, the state secretary within the National Defence Ministry (MApN) and head of Euro-Atlantic Accession and Defence Policy Department.

Maior yesterday said that MApN was “doing its homework” and, from the military perspective, Romania would be ready for joining NATO, but the decision would be a political one.

A MApN delegation headed by George Maior last week attended the Brussels meeting of the NATO Political-Military Committee, under the 19 plus 1 format, and talks on Romania’s future armed forces structure were carried.

The meeting was an important test for Romania, given that next year would be decisive for the NATO joining campaign, Maior said.

The Northern Atlantic Alliance is mainly concerned about the allotment of consistent financial resources for the medium- and long-term reform of the Romanian army. Romania pledged to grant annually at least 2% of its GDP to the army. Mediafax