CSAT approves updated military mobility plan

Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) on Wednesday approved the country's military mobility national plan, announced acting President Ilie Bolojan reported, saying that a new bridge over the Danube is included as an important project in the plan."A third important item [on the CSAT agenda] was to update the National Plan on Military Mobility. That is a plan that includes the main projects that secure both civil mobility on important infrastructure works, and also military mobility and was brought up to date with the projects prepared in recent years and projects that are to be developed in the coming years so that military mobility in this South-Eastern European region is secured in the coming years," said Bolojan at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after a CSAT meeting.He added that a new mobility corridor Romania has joined on the north-south direction, on the Romania-Balkans direction."The project for the new bridge over the Danube, which is currently being designed, is included as an important project in this military mobility plan," said Bolojan.   Romania to increase its defence spending in stages   Romania's acting President Ilie Bolojan announced on Wednesday that Defence Minister Angel Tilvar has been mandated to pledge on behalf of the country increasing Romania's defence spending in stages by 2030."An important project regards increasing Romania's defence capacity by 2030, a project that aims, on the one hand, to increase defence spending in stages in the coming years so that Romania is close to the European partners, a contributor to the defence of Europe and to the increase of our country's security. In this regard, the defence minister was mandated that in negotiations and technical discussions that will prepare the NATO summit in the second half of June in The Hague, he will pledge on behalf of our country a phased increase in defence spending, so that, as I have said, our spending will secure a consolidated defence of Romania and NATO's eastern flank," Bolojan told a news briefing at the the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after a meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT).He added that a working group has been set up that will be led by the Prime Minister's Chancellery and supported by the ministries of defence and economy, to prepare Romania's application for accessing the loans extended by the European Commission for the countries of the European Union to provide additional defence equipment."It is an advantageous loan, to be repaid in over 40 years and a grace period of 10 years, and this way Romania can improve its military capabilities in the coming years without being in a situation where we put a lot of pressure on the national budget," Bolojan said.He added that as far as the increase in the defence capacity is concerned, making such investments in large part through orders to the defence industry in Romania, both public and private, was discussed."That was an important subject and, this May the first half of June at the latest - before the NATO Summit in The Hague - these aspects will have to be clarified and Romania will come up with a list of projects for which it will request funds under this safe credit programme provided by the European Union," said Bolojan.  (Photo:https://www.presidency.ro/)