Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana: Europe's strategic center of gravity is moving to the East

Following the war in Ukraine, Europe strategic center of gravity will move to the East, and Romania will become a country not only strategically relevant, but also one with "an economic, political and technological relevance", said on Friday NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, in northeastern Iasi, at the international conference "NATO and the war in Ukraine. Geographical rebalancing and institutional consolidation".

Mircea Geoana agreed with the speech delivered by the German Chancellor in a university in Prague according to which Europe's center of gravity is moving to the East following the conflict in which Russia practically chose to disengage from Europe.

"The strategic center of gravity of Europe is moving to the East, and to Romania, the Eastern Flank is everything we have from Negru Voda to Satu Mare, obviously going through the extremely important strategic area that Iasi and Romanian Moldova represent. This is not just a simple observation of a strategic nature, but it must also be one of an economic, technological and political nature. I think that this new situation in Europe creates conditions for the strategic relevance of the countries on the Eastern Flank, including Romania, a country extremely relevant from a strategic perspective for us, to become economically, politically and technologically relevant. The center of gravity is moving to the East, the center of gravity is moving to a new reality we have to take advantage of," said Geoana.

"I believe that the East of Romania, the eastern flank, the entire Romanian Moldavia, the entire area of Bucovina and the entire area of Maramures can and should become not only protected areas from a military point of view, but areas that represent economic dynamism, investment opportunities, chances for better living conditions, infrastructures and the capacity to develop in equal measure with our strategic relevance," added Mircea Geoana.

He also condemned the "savage attacks" that the Russian army is launching against the civil and energy infrastructure in Ukraine, giving assurances that NATO's Eastern Flank and Romania will be protected.