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Romania, decisive NATO ally

NATO prepares for a long term crisis with Russia, in the context in which the conflict from Ukraine has fundamentally transformed the security of Europe, renouncing the hope of a constructive relationship with Moscow and taking into account an official change of doctrine, regarding the Alliance.

Some NATO states, keen to avoid a new Cold War or to be drawn in a costly arms race, have hoped that the tension caused by Russia annexing Crimea last year will blow off quickly, like in the case of the Russian-Georgian War in 2008.

But NATO officials begin to realize this won’t happen and the relations with Russia have entered a new cold period which could last a long time and it may require an official change in the Alliance doctrine.

The tensions regarding the conflict in Eastern Ukraine triggered a debate on the desirability of NATO rewriting the strategic document, drawn up in a period when there were hopes that the enmity of the Cold War can be left aside, while Russia and NATO cooperate.

“The Strategic Concept” adopted by NATO leaders at the 2010 Lisbon Summit, consider that the danger of a conventional attack on NATO territory is a low one. The document which establishes the objectives and the missions of the Alliance, agrees that NATO-Russia cooperation is an important strategy. “Part of the language (from the document) regarding Russia as a strategic Partner of the Alliance is surely questioned by Russia’s behavior”, declared last month USA Ambassador Douglas LUTE designated at NATO, adding that it is yet to be taken a decision regarding the text editing.

NATO personnel presently works on detailed plans for diverse secret scenarios, furthermore, a war in Europe is no longer considered totally excluded.

While, in recent years NATO could choose whether to engage in conflicts such as those in Afghanistan or Libya, in the future, NATO “could be forced to respond to an existential threat”, declared a NATO diplomat. According to the Alliance’s founding Treaty, Member States are obliged to treat an attack on a partner as an attack on the entire block.

Jaozas OLEKAS, Lithuanian Minister of Defense, declared that NATO must adapt to a new security environment, and the rewriting of the 35 page strategic document represents “one of the options”.

“Today, Russia is a threat to us”, declared OLEKAS for Reuters on the occasion of a NATO reunion last month, adding that the Alliance has not excluded a possible collaboration in the future, but Russia must respect the international legislation.

Lithuania is one of the three Baltic countries with important Russian minorities and it has declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 or 1991, adhering NATO in 2004 and feels especially threatened by the Russian behavior.

NATO diplomat considers the tensions with Russia will continue because the survival of President Vladimir PUTIN to power “is linked by permanently confronting with the Occident”.

The Diplomat stressed that some allies, such as Germany, hesitate to change the strategic document, especially because it would require tremendous 1 year work, and partially because it doesn’t want to enrage Russia by closing the door of cooperation or to undermine the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.

NATO diplomats fear that rewriting the strategic concept could open Pandora’s Box. Some allies from the South, who believe the Alliance concentrates too much on the challenges presented there, desire more attention on the new South threats, such as Islamic State group from Syria and Iraq.

Thus, NATO seems to go for a compromise. NATO leaders could order the start of the strategy change at the 2016 Warsaw Summit, the text being ready at the next reunion, probably in 2018, according to some diplomats.

The strategic concept of NATO has been rewritten in the past after major changes in security, like the Fall of the Berlin Wall or the attacks from 9/11, USA.

The 2010 version was conceived when the important NATO operation was in Afghanistan, but since then the Alliance has moved the focus on defending its territory.

Vladimir PUTIN signed in December a new Russian military doctrine, which included NATO expansion among the external risks. Instead, last week, Russia has denounced a new US military strategy that accuses Moscow of not respecting the sovereignty of its neighbors.

Ruslan PUHOV, Director of the Center for Strategies and Technologies Analysis in Moscow, said that Russia would have a negative reaction to a change in NATO strategy.

With Romania, NATO is stronger

With Romania, NATO is stronger and Romania is stronger as a NATO member, this solidarity is the base of our alliance: all for one and one for all, declared in Bucharest Jens STOLTENBERG, Alliance General Secretary.

Perfectly integrated in the allied structures since 2004, Romania harmonizes its defense policy with NATO security policy and thinks its strategies. In this context can be answered Bucharest’s decision to host two North Atlantic Alliance command centers.

Romania wants to become a regional center gathered for training activities and exercises in south-east of NATO. Mircea DUSA, Minister of Defense conveyed NATO General Secretary that the proposal made by Romania comes after an analysis made by institutions activating in the national defense system, analysis related to the need of a long term strategic adaptation of the Alliance. Our country continues “to implement measures to operate the NATO Forces Integration Unit (NFIU) in Bucharest, thus fulfilling all responsibilities our country has as host nation. The value of the Bucharest NATO operational center is 16 million lei, of which 13 million are NATO funds, while 3 million come from MApN funds. NATO Forces Integration Unit will focus 42 officers, 26 of whom are Romanians, the rest being from other allied states. The decision regarding the location of such units was taken at the NATO Summit in September 2014. It was then decided to build such centers in six states on the eastern flank: Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Also, Romania is considering an ambitious timetable regarding the provision of the Alliance of the Command division level (HQ MND SE), which will provide additional options for leading Alliance missions in the southern eastern allied flank “.