BUCHAREST, Romania – NATO and Romanian Ministry of Defense representatives activated the Multinational Division Southeast (MND-SE) headquarters in Bucharest, Dec. 1, 2015.
The new headquarters provides a high readiness capability to command forces deployed within the Southeast region of NATO’s border nations. The activation ceremony in Bucharest indicated the official integration of MND-SE into the NATO command structure.
"This new headquarters, led by Romanian armed forces members, will assure NATO allies of an increased readiness and capability, not only for the Southeast region, but for all of NATO,” said Allied Joint Force Command Naples deputy commander, Canadian Forces Lt. Gen. Alain Parent. JFC Naples will serve as the operational control of MND-SE.
As a divisional headquarters in the Southeast region, MND-SE will be prepared to execute command and control over the NATO Force Integration Units in Romania and Bulgaria for a range of missions, which includes Article V operations based on NATO advance planning, when authorized by the North Atlantic Council and directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
"Multinational Divisional Headquarters Southeast is an important contribution to NATO’s collective defense,” said Maj. Gen. Josef Blotz, director of operations and planning division in the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters. "Today’s inauguration demonstrates that the implementation of the readiness action plan is on track and on time.”
NATO has implemented the readiness action plan at the 2014 Wales Summit to adapt and meet the challenges in the security environment of NATO’s borders and beyond. The establishment of MND-SE ensures that NATO is ready to meet potential threats to the alliance now and in the future.