Klaus Iohannis: I've decided to compete for NATO Secretary General

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday announced that he has decided to compete for the position of NATO Secretary General."I assume this candidacy on behalf of Romania," said Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni presidential palace.He said that "it is time for our country to assume greater responsibility within the Euro-Atlantic leadership structures".The president spoke of a new perspective for the Alliance and the importance of Eastern Europe in achieving this perspective."We have a deep understanding, including from the perspective of the historical challenges faced by our region, of the current security situation, a situation unbalanced by Russia's war against Ukraine. At the same time, I believe that NATO also needs a renewed perspective on its mission. Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution to make to the discussions and decisions made within NATO," said the president of Romania.Thus, he said, "with a balanced, strong and influential representation from this region, the Alliance will be able to make the best decisions that meet the needs and concerns of all member states".President Iohannis's announcement comes in the year when our country celebrates 20 years since joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.The president said that this candidacy, which he assumes "with all responsibility", is a decision based on "Romania's performance, the experience gained during his two mandates as president of Romania, his deep understanding of the challenges faced by NATO, Europe, and especially our region" and his "firm" commitment to NATO's fundamental values and objectives."Alliance's cardinal values, including the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, were the compass that guided us towards consolidating a genuine democracy. In addition, crucially, the NATO umbrella has provided us with the strongest security guarantees in history. Never have these security guarantees proved more relevant than today," Iohannis said.According to him, currently "we live in the most difficult times in terms of security in recent decades, but we, Romanians, feel protected precisely because we are members of the North Atlantic Alliance.""A military conflict in Europe is a reality that a few years ago seemed unlikely. Russia is proving to be a serious and long-lasting threat to our continent, to our Euro-Atlantic security. Under these conditions, NATO's borders are of paramount importance, and strengthening the Eastern Flank, which includes Romania, will remain a long-term priority," the president detailed.He reminded that, at present, Romania is one of the allied states that allocates 2.5% of GDP for Defense."We unconditionally support Ukraine and we consistently contribute to the strong support of Alliance's partners, especially the most vulnerable," Iohannis said.The president pointed out that Romania has a "complicated neighbourhood" with Russia."We have always been aware of the risks and threats arising from this situation and have thoroughly prepared ourselves to ensure full security for our citizens. Romania would not have been able to develop economically, would not have attracted capital and investors to contribute to raising living standards if there had not been solid guarantees on national security. And these guarantees are directly related to the military modernization of our country, but also to our membership in the North Atlantic Alliance," he said.Klaus Iohannis assessed that, at present, Romania is a respected member of NATO, as well as of the European Union."It is a status we have earned over the past years, proving involvement, strategic predictability in terms of our foreign and security policy, stability, professionalism and direct respect for the fundamental values on which the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union are built. Moreover, we have constantly acted to bring the two sides of the Atlantic closer together, because yes, for us, the transatlantic relationship is essential," president Iohannis added.He also said that Romania's aspiration to be part of the Euro-Atlantic leadership structures is a "legitimate one, of a state that has undergone radical transformations in the last two decades and which could contribute with this experience to shaping a new vision on how we can respond quickly and efficiently to a varied and complex range of challenges and threats."