MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar visited the Alabama State House on Tuesday to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the Alabama–Romania State Partnership Program, while also calling for increased defense cooperation between the two states.
Speaking before the entirety of the Alabama House of Representatives, Tilvar was joined by other high-ranking members of the Romanian Armed Forces.
“Our troops form a close bond of friendship, cooperation and even brotherhood,” Tilvar said in the crowded State House chamber. “The brave soldiers of (the) National Guard of Alabama, are, and will always be, welcome to Romania.”
A member of NATO since 2004, and of the European Union since 2007, Romania partnered with the Alabama National Guard in 1993 through the United States European Command State Partnership Program, among the first partnerships made through the program.
Partnered U.S. states and countries routinely cooperate in military training drills, as well as collaborate on increasing “exports, investment and collaboration” between territories.
Tilvar championed the United States’ efforts in financially supporting Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion – which as of February, the United States has allocated more than $114 billion toward – and said the war has led Romania to increase its own defense spending.
“Among the measures adopted in response to the current security situation generated by the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine, we decided to increase the defense budget to 2.5% of GDP starting this year, of which, more than 37% are allocated for major equipment procurement and research activities,” Tilvar said.
Romania is significant in the war in Ukraine given that it is the easternmost NATO state, sharing a border with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has routinely named the expansion of NATO as a justification for the invasion of Ukraine.
Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker told Mikhail Gorbachev, then leader of the Soviet Union, that following the reunification of East and West Germany, NATO would not expand “one inch to the east.” The organization did expand to the east, however, with Finland – which shares an 832-mile long border with Russia – joining NATO this week.
With NATO’s Article 5 compelling all member states to defend an attacked member state, and with Romania’s proximity to Ukraine and Russia, Tilvar called for increased cooperation between his country and Alabama to meet the “current and future challenges.”
“We have identified that there are great opportunities to increase bilateral industrial cooperation; I believe that this is essential for our common success,” Tilvar said. “We know very well that the United States represents a global model from this point of view, and I believe that we need to strengthen – even more – cooperation in different sectors, including in defense.”
Alabama House members gave Tilvar a standing ovation following his speech, and continued as he and other Romanian military officials walked out of the House Chamber.
He gave a similar speech in the Alabama Senate, and received a similar response, Tuesday.