he defence of NATO’s eastern border and the developing crisis in the Ukraine topped the agenda as the Commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Admiral Bruce W. Clingan, met with The Honourable Mircea Dusa, Romania’s Minister of National Defence and Lieutenant General Stefan Danila, the Romanian Chief of Defence.
The get-together was held in Bucharest on April 22nd and 23rd, 2014.
During the visit, Admiral Clingan toured the Air Operations Command in Balotesti, and discussed in detail NATO’s current measures to address the growing security concerns of Allies.
In explaining the purpose of his visit, Admiral Clingan said, “Protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Alliance’s member states is a commitment the NATO Command Structure takes seriously. The Alliance recently approved Assurance Measures designed to strengthen our readiness to collectively meet that commitment, but close collaboration between Allies and NATO’s Command Structure headquarters is required to implement those measures in a relevant timeframe. Exchanging ideas with the Romanian Chief of Defence, Service Chiefs, and key members of the General Staff regarding the measures directly related to the security of Romania, in light of the Ukrainian crisis, was extremely useful.”
JFC Naples’ mission is to prepare for, plan and conduct military operations in order to preserve the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states and freedom of the seas and economic lifelines throughout the Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s area of responsibility and beyond.
[mappress] Press Release, April 28, 2014; Image: NATO