Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attends a news conference at the end of Bucharest 9 Summit in Bucharest, Romania, on June 10, 2022. Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit participants want a consolidated NATO presence on the eastern flank, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
BUCHAREST, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit participants want a consolidated NATO presence on the eastern flank, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday.
This presence should be "unitary and coherent, robust, credible and sustainable, especially on the Black Sea," Iohannis said after the B9 Summit he co-chaired with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.
Leaders attending the Summit discussed recent security developments and the allied response, Iohannis said, in preparation for decisions at the NATO Summit in Madrid later this month.
The Polish president said that Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia should also be covered with an "advanced defense presence."
The B9 Summit, launched in 2015 by Iohannis and Duda, was attended by the presidents of Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria, while the presidents of the Czech Republic and of Slovakia participated online.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also attended the meeting remotely. ■
Photo taken on June 10, 2022 shows a plenary session of Bucharest 9 Summit in Bucharest, Romania. Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit participants want a consolidated NATO presence on the eastern flank, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
Polish President Andrzej Duda attends a news conference at the end of Bucharest 9 Summit in Bucharest, Romania, on June 10, 2022. Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit participants want a consolidated NATO presence on the eastern flank, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (R) shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Bucharest 9 Summit in Bucharest, Romania, on June 10, 2022. Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit participants want a consolidated NATO presence on the eastern flank, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
