Romania discusses voluntary military training, president calls for strengthening military reserve
Kyiv • UNN
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called for strengthening the military reserve and reviving the national defense industry, and the parliament is discussing a bill on voluntary military training for people aged 18 to 35.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that Romania should step up efforts to strengthen the military personnel reserve, while a draft law on voluntary military training is being discussed and is to be submitted to parliament for an emergency discussion, UNN reports citing Digi24.
Details
"The protection of our citizens is one of the fundamental obligations of the Romanian state. However, without an army equipped with modern technology, it is impossible to guarantee the safety of people. Starting from 2023, Romania has increased from 2% to 2.5% of GDP the allocation of defense, i.e., the financing of the Romanian army, the motivation, training and improvement of our army and the increase of the level of cooperation with allied forces. In parallel, we must intensify efforts to strengthen the military personnel reserve, revive the national defense industry and modernize the transportation infrastructure," Iohannis said at an event in Paris.
These statements were reportedly made in the context of the fact that the country's parliament is discussing a regulation on military training aimed at women and men aged 18 to 35 who can choose to undergo military training within the country's Ministry of Defense within 4 months of completing an internship to join the military reserve.
There are no plans for a compulsory army in Romania at the moment, Johannis also said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of reservists from Galati and Braila are reportedly taking part in military exercises at the Smardan training ground. Such exercises have not been held in Galati since 2011, and in Braila County since 2015, the newspaper notes. The purpose of these exercises is to familiarize the reservists with new military equipment that has entered service with the Romanian army, as well as to remind them of army knowledge, the newspaper writes.
