From NATO: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Romania on 6 and 7 May, where he met with President Traian Basescu, Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi and other high-level Romanian officials, and gave a public address at the University of Bucharest.

At a joint press conference with President Basescu on 6 May, the Secretary General thanked Romania for its contribution to the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan, saying that it is “substantial, without caveats and with a growing focus on training.”  …

In closing, Mr Rasmussen spoke about the new Strategic Concept. In his view, the new Strategic Concept will reaffirm that “NATO’s core task was, continues to be and will remain territorial collective defence of our territories and populations”.

At the same time, he argued, NATO will also have to adapt to tackle the threats of the 21 century. “I am not going to prejudge the new Strategic Concept,” he said. “But I’ll make one point very clear: We cannot afford to put missile defence, energy security or cyber defence on the back burner. Because new challenges don’t wait until we feel ready to meet them.”  (photo: NATO)

Image: anders%20fogh%20rasmussen%20Traian%20Basescu%20romania%205%207%2010.jpg