Speaker Ciolacu: Russia, disturbed that Romania is consolidating as the safest country in its region

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday that any form of threat from the Russian Federation is "unacceptable," claiming that Moscow is "disturbed" that Romania is and is consolidating as the safest country in its region." "Any form of threat from the Russian Federation is unacceptable! The fact that Romania is and is consolidating itself as the safest country in the region bothers Moscow. This fact is confirmed today by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Let us not forget, however, that history proves us right in our national efforts to be prosperous, free and secure. National security will be further strengthened in the coming months and years, and the 'arc of tension' is generated by the Russians and not by NATO," Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. The Social Democrat national leader added that while Russia is acting "concretely and violently" in the region, Romania is choosing to strengthen key partnerships. "After Georgia and Ukraine, everyone understood that, beyond their propaganda with negative effects, Russia regularly acts concretely and violently in the neighbourhood. Romania, in turn, will choose to strengthen key partnerships. A possible additional American presence in Black Sea region would not be in any way contrary to the NATO-Russia Founding Act, but it would be an adequate response to the accelerated militarisation of Crimea and the Black Sea area by the Russian Federation. At the same time we need Romania to become stronger economically, socially and politically in the aftermath of the crises generated by COVID-19," added Ciolacu. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing that "following the announcement of the Pentagon decision to increase its military presence in Poland and the Baltic states, high-ranking US commanders spoke about their country's plans to redeploy to Romania some of the troops being withdrawn from Germany. Washington does not conceal that these steps are part of the effort to bolster the so-called 'north-south axis' from the Baltic to Black Sea, the axis that is to become the line marking Russias 'containment,' with Romania viewed as a key stronghold for projecting power in the Black Sea region (...) All that is evidence that the US and its NATO allies are intent on seeking to create an 'arc of tension' along the contact line with Russia, at the expense of European security interests." AGERPRES (RO - author: Catalin Alexandru, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Cristina Zaharia)