Rearmament represents a necessity and not a choice, Romanian president says at NATO Industry Forum

Romanian president Nicușor Dan and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, participated in the NATO Industry Forum 2025 in Bucharest on Thursday, November 6. During his speech, the president said that “rearmament is not a choice, it is a necessity” due to the many threats to peace.

The Romanian president began his speech saying that the current times “force us to talk more and more about rearmament.”

“All the threats and challenges we are currently facing [...] remind us that peace and security are never guaranteed; therefore, rearmament is not a choice, it is a necessity. It is not a choice for NATO, Romania, or other states, but a necessity. Further proof that we must do more to defend ourselves,” the president declared.

The head of state said that Russia’s aggressiveness continues, even at Romania’s border and beyond Ukraine, as evidenced by repeated violations of other states’ airspace. He expressed his confidence that “NATO and the allies on both sides of the Atlantic are committed to defending every inch of the alliance.”

Finally, Dan spoke to the forum participants about the history of the Romanian defense industry, which has a long tradition, even if “perhaps, as in many other places, it has been neglected in recent years, but there is extraordinary potential.”

During public statements, Mark Rutte said that the dialogue between NATO and industry is essential because the Russian threat will not end when the war ends, but will become a lasting one.

“Russia will remain a destabilizing force in Europe and the world. And Russia is not alone in its efforts to undermine the global rules. As you know, it is working with China, with North Korea, with Iran, and others. They are increasing their defence industrial collaboration to unprecedented levels. They are preparing for a long-term confrontation. We cannot be naive. We must be prepared,” emphasized the NATO Secretary General.

Rutte added that the alliance needs industry to implement what he calls “peace through strength,” noting that greater production in the field is needed to overcome these threats.

Romania’s capital hosted NIF25 (NATO Industry Forum 2025) on November 5-6, held under the patronage of the Secretary General of the Alliance. The event was organized by the Supreme Allied Command Transformation (SACT) and the Defense Industry, Innovation, and Armament Division within NATO’s International Military Staff, with the support of the Ministry of National Defense.

The main objectives of NIF25 are to explore concrete solutions for increasing the Alliance’s defense capacity, including identifying innovative mechanisms necessary to expand defense production, leveraging commercial innovation, especially dual-use technologies, and exploring solutions that could fundamentally change the way of action in the future.