The Southeast Multinational Corps, a component of the NATO Force Structure officially inaugurated in 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine, is ready to lead ground operations in Romania and Bulgaria in the event of a war, Major General Dragoş Dumitru Iacob said at a press conference on Monday.
Dumitru Iacob said NATO soldiers stationed in Sibiu, the western part of the country, are tasked with leading ground operations in Romania and Bulgaria in the event of a war.
“We are ready to execute the missions for which we were created. Our role involves leading ground operations within the territories of Romania and Bulgaria, leading up to five allied divisions belonging to the NATO force structure”, he said during a press conference on Monday, Agerpres reported.
The Sibiu NATO structure has a budget of €350 million and is staffed by military personnel from 17 allied countries, including Romania.
The main objective of the Southeast Multinational Corps is deterrence. “We oversee the forces currently deployed in Romania and Bulgaria to ensure deterrence and conduct joint training exercises with the Romanian and Bulgarian Armed Forces”, explained the structure’s commander.
If the situation demands, the military forces are prepared to defend the territories of both countries “with arms in hand”, he added.
“Romania will continue to contribute to the improvement of regional and Euro-Atlantic security, serving as a pillar of stability in the Black Sea region”, stated President Klaus Iohannis while congratulating the soldiers engaged in the mission.
(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)
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