Romania’s genesis as a NATO member state

Європейські історичні студії

Galyna Mingazutdinova¹ 

[1] Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;

关键词: Romania;    NATO;    Euro-Atlantic integration;    defense;    strategic partnership;    international security;   

DOI  :  10.17721/2524-048X.2018.11.170-188

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The article touches upon Romania’s path towards obtaining its NATO membership, as well as the prerequisites of shaping of its international image in the sphere of security. The external reasons of activating Romania’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have been analyzed, and the fundamental geopolitical factors of Romania’s importance and contribution to the Transatlantic and regional security have been outlined. The article also reveals the basic stages of rapprochement between Bucharest and NATO in 1990 – 2004. Special attention has been paid to the process of the Romanian military sector reforming in early 1990s, which constituted an essential element of the country’s gaining membership in the Alliance. Some comparisons of the Romanian and Ukrainian paths towards obtaining NATO membership and introducing their Euro-Atlantic integration have been made. It is concluded that en route towards NATO, not only did Romania succeed in holding some essential reforms of the social and political sectors to fulfill its Euro-Atlantic aspirations, but it also has found itself in a particularly profitable situation of the international security situation’s transformation. What is more, Romania did prove itself as an important strategic partner with its geopolitical and geographical position in the Black Sea basin and in the Balkans. Today, these factors continue contributing to Romania’s importance for NATO’s practical activities aimed to provide peace and security to the Black Sea region.