NATO Deputy Secretary General marks 10th anniversary of key missile defence agreement
NATO on Wednesday (12 May 2021) marked the 10th anniversary of the agreement between Romania and the United States to establish NATO’s land-based ballistic missile defence system in southern Romania.
Addressing senior officials at the Romanian Senate via video-link, Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană thanked Romania for hosting the “Aegis Ashore” missile defence site in the town of Deveselu, which provides 24/7 defence against ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. Built and operated by the United States on behalf of NATO, the missile defence base forms part of a larger European NATO missile shield which also includes radars and ships across Europe.
At the NATO Lisbon Summit in 2010, Allies decided to develop a capability to protect NATO’s European members from ballistic missile threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. Initial operational capability was achieved in 2016. Mr Geoană stressed that NATO’s work on missile defence continues, as missiles remain a weapon of choice for potential adversaries. He stressed that missile defence plays a vital role for NATO’s deterrence and is purely defensive.
Looking towards the Brussels Summit in June, the Deputy Secretary General underlined that the meeting will be a unique opportunity to reinforce NATO as the enduring embodiment of the bond between Europe and North America.