Bucharest. File photoCHISINAU, Jun 14Romania needs to increase the number of NATO soldiers who will stay in the country for a long time, said Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. «A more consistent presence is needed, although I can say that on At the moment, if we look at the Allied presence in Romania, we already have more than 5,000 Allied soldiers on Romanian territory.We are interested in a long-term presence on the eastern flank of the NATO Allies, in a formula that obviously should not be measured only by the number of troops in Romania, but also many other parameters,» Aurescu said on the Digi 24 TV channel, explaining that it was about increasing «the number of soldiers and the period of their presence in Romania.» He noted that formally the process of forming a battle group in Romania began on May 1 . The authorities hope that it can be completed before the end of this year. «It will depend on how fast we move, and on the allies that are part of this battle group,» the minister said. Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that the United States did not intend to reduce its military presence in Europe. On the contrary, Washington plans to increase the number of troops in Romania and other countries in the event of an escalation around Ukraine. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis welcomed the words of the US President on the increase in the number of American troops in Europe, including in Romania, as well as the statement of the French President Emmanuel Macron on the readiness to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO.
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