„We must increase defense spending, which we must transform into capabilities. We must increase the contribution of European allies to the alliance and we must develop a solid transatlantic military industrial base together,” the head of state said.
The summit takes place approximately two months before the NATO meeting in Ankara and brings together the leaders of the B9 member states, along with Nordic partners, while the United States and Ukraine participate as observers. The meeting aims to coordinate positions on the future of the North Atlantic Alliance and to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, said the Romanian president.
Nicușor Dan insisted in his opening speech on the importance of Romania’s geographical position and NATO’s Eastern Flank. “It is not without importance that we are close to Ukraine, close to the Black Sea and close to places where allied territory is threatened,” said the president.
According to the Romanian president, the main priority for the participating states remains their own security: “For each of our countries there is a priority: their own security.”
Regarding the support provided to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Nicușor Dan stated that this must be concrete and effective: “It is support that we must not offer only declaratively, but must make it effective, because our security also depends on their security.”
The Bucharest 9 format was launched in 2015, at the initiative of Romania and Poland, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, as a coordination platform for NATO states on the Eastern Flank. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the B9 became one of the main regional consultation structures on Euro-Atlantic security and support for Kiev.
The agenda of the Bucharest meeting includes increasing defense spending, strengthening the European and transatlantic defense industry, implementing the decisions adopted at the previous NATO summit in The Hague, and coordinating positions ahead of the allied summit in Ankara.