<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>King Felipe VI visited the Spanish troops deployed in the NATO mission in Romania this Tuesday, thanking them for their work for "security and stability at a crucial moment in the history of Europe."</strong></h4> This Tuesday, King Felipe VI made a double visit to Romania and Slovakia to meet with the Spanish troops deployed in both countries as part of the NATO missions on the eastern flank. The King is traveling accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, as Minister of the Day. Almost a year ago, the King traveled to Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia to visit the Spanish troops, but on that occasion, he was not accompanied by any member of the Government, except in Latvia, where he was joined by Margarita Robles. The absence of ministers during the first two legs of the tour caused considerable surprise in diplomatic circles, as it is customary for a member of the government to accompany the King on his official visits, usually the Minister of Foreign Affairs or, in a case like this, the Minister of Defense. Before visiting the troops, the King was received by the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, at the Cincu training ground. Felipe VI is the first head of state received by Dan since taking office two weeks ago. “At a time of so much change and uncertainty, the international order is shifting, and yet we, Spain and Romania, are clearly reaffirming our strategic partnership, which was established in 2013 and is based on the strongest possible bond: our people,” the King stated during the meeting with the Romanian president. King Felipe was accompanied by Margarita Robles, the Head of the Royal Household, Camilo Villarino, and the Spanish Ambassador to Romania, José Antonio Hernández, among others. On the Romanian side, the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of the Defense Staff, among others, participated in the meeting. Afterwards, Felipe VI visited the Spanish contingent at the Joint National Training Center (JNTC) training ground in Cincu. During this meeting, the King expressed to the Spanish troops "the gratitude and pride of everyone in Spain for how you are carrying out your mission from this friendly and allied country (...) and for how you are ensuring our security and stability at a crucial moment in the history of Europe." "Continue like this: reaffirming, with your sense of duty, with your dedication and preparation, the prestige of our country, of our Armed Forces, and giving us all even more reasons for pride and confidence," he continued. "It is precisely here, in Romania, a country that suffers daily from the effects of the war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, that I wish to reaffirm Spain's determination to continue supporting the Ukrainian people in defending the fundamental principles and values that we all share as Europeans," he added. For her part, Margarita Robles stated that this meeting highlights that "Spain is a serious, committed, and responsible partner" and expressed her pride in the Spanish Armed Forces for their example of "professionalism and leadership, wherever they are required." The Romanian Multinational Battlegroup is one of eight contingents deployed along the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance. In October 2024, the Spanish Armed Forces began deploying personnel and capabilities to the Romanian town of Cincu to carry out activities similar to those already carried out in Latvia and Slovakia: training exercises integrated into the French-led Multinational Battlegroup and those developed in cooperation with the Romanian Armed Forces. A total of 206 Spanish marines have been integrated into the Multinational Battlegroup since May 23rd and until December 9th, with the mission of contributing to the deterrence and, if necessary, the security of Romania and the rest of the NATO allied countries. Spain is also present with the "Tigru" detachment, which includes 39 aviators from the Spanish Air Force and Space Force to reinforce the allied presence in the area, as well as a long-range early warning radar, which has already accumulated 20,000 hours of surveillance. <h5><strong>Slovakia</strong></h5> <div class="lRu31" dir="ltr"><span class="HwtZe" lang="en"><span class="jCAhz ChMk0b"><span class="ryNqvb">After the visit to Romania, the King and Robles traveled to Slovakia, where they attended a reception with President Peter Pellegrini and were treated to a gala dinner hosted by the president at the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava.</span></span></span></div> The following day, Felipe VI and the Minister will visit the Spanish contingent stationed in the Slovak multinational brigade, part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, of which Spain assumed command in July 2024. According to the Ministry of Defense, this is the largest Spanish deployment abroad, with 828 Army personnel at the Lest and Kuchyma bases, along with significant heavy equipment. Joining this effort are Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic, which, under Spanish leadership, complete the Battlegroup's deterrence and defense capabilities.
