NATO must support ROMANIA

Dear Mr. Jaap de Hoop Schaeffer, NATO Secretary General,

We found your commentaries regarding the non-implication of NATO to stop the threats against the sovereignty of Romania very surprising, especially since they are an Organization member, whos border becomes the NATO borders, also.
Saying that the dispute between Ukraine and Romania is not a NATO problem, you send a wrong message about an Alliance with our country and deny the ability to react to the threats.

If this is a political judgment, then it is a wrong political judgment. Because of the tentative plan to invade and modify the border of a new NATO member, it is a test to verify the power of the reaction of NATO and a lack of reaction creates the precedence for the increasing potential for new conflicts in different regions of the world.

The membership of Romania to the North Atlantic Treaty implies bilateral burdens. For the sake of the Alliance authority and unity, Romania actively participates in its share of responsibilities in the NATO structures in the global war against the terrorism, even in the far regions to its borders. What about the NATO who must consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened. The North Atlantic Treaty, Article 4 ?
It is regrettable that from the high level of the Secretary General they are sending signals to the whole world about a feeble and hesitant NATO, instead of showing firmness and solidarity. This is especially critical today when we are involved in the war against the global terrorism.

As a proof of this pathetic attitude, it is the step back regarding the firm attitude taken during the Summit in Istanbul, in July, when NATO asked Russia to keep their word and to have their troops withdraw from Transnistria. Today, facing the strong position of the Defense Minister of Russian Federation who refused to discuss the topic, you stepped back accepting the Russian point of view that Transnistria is not NATO business. It is a wrong attitude for the long term, because Transnistria is not only a neighbor of NATO, but it is a supplier of the armaments for terrorist groups and is a center of regional instability where the democratic and human values are not recognized by a criminal administration under protection of the Russian troops.

Mr. Secretary General, as a civil society, we cannot tell you how to perform your duties. We just tell you that the hesitance of the Alliance gives a boost to our adversaries at that specific moment when we are in the global war against the terrorism and should be proving unity and solidarity.

Romania, as a country defending the NATO borders, must be supported politically by solidarity messages and by firm political and diplomatic intervention of the transatlantic Alliance and not left alone against the threats of their very aggressive neighbors.

Mircea Popescu
President
The World Romanian Council
Member of The Europeans Throughout the World