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Patriot missile systems purchase adopted in Deputies Chamber's plenary sitting
Member of Deputies' plenary sitting adopted on Tuesday with 279 votes "in favour", one "against" and one abstention the bill on the "Ground-based Air Defence Capability" to be accomplished under the key endowment programme "Long-range surface-to-air missile system (HSAM)."
Chamber of Deputies Defence Committee had greenlighted on Tuesday morning the government's Army endowment bill providing for the purchase of seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said.
The Chamber of Deputies is a decision-making forum in this case.
According to Defence Minister Mihai Fifor, once past this stage, the bill's legislative part is at a closure point, the next step being for the Romanian party to sign the contract with the United States' Government, most likely until 1 December this year.
"The bill is due for the Chamber of deputies' plenary sitting. Mr. Speaker of the Deputies' Chamber, Mr. Dragnea, has provided his full support for this project. (...) Or, this only helps us close the legislative part of the Patriot project this week, so that we can sign the contract with the U.S. Government and proceed with the payment. Thus, alongside the other programmes being conducted, we comply with the 2 percent allocated this year to MApN [the National Defence Ministry — ed.n.]. Specifically, until 1 December we want to be able to sign the acceptance letter with the U.S. Government which also constitutes the actual contract for the first system, the payment for the contract being consequently due within two weeks' time. Payment for the first system. There was an amendment lodged by one of my colleagues — it is a purely legislative matter, without any consequences," the Defence Minister showed.
Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said Tuesday after the Chamber of Deputies passed a draft agreement for the purchase by Romania of Patriot missile systems that he hopes the contract with the US Administration will be signed next week, so that the deal may close on December 15.
"I think this is a very important day to Romania. Today, Romania strengthens its defence and deterrence capabilities by acquiring a long-range defence system, and I mean the Patriot system. By the vote of the Chamber of Deputies today we can already sign the Patriot acquisition contract, a government-to-government agreement, and we hope that this bill will be promulgated very soon, so that we can sign the documents with the US Administration next week. Afterwards, the payment procedure will follow against the schedule we have set. We hope to complete this transaction by December 15," Fifor said at Parliament.
He added that the passage of the bill shows that all the promises made under the strategic partnership with the United States are being fulfilled.
"Romania is thus showing that everything it has promised under a strategic partnership with the United States and NATO members is being accomplished; Romania is are able to spend the 2-percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that the Romanian Parliament has approved in the national budget for defence. We are also prepared to continue with the acquisition of the second Patriot system next year, as well as with the acquisition [programmes approved by the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) and the Romanian Parliament," said Fifor.
He added that the bill came out in record time in Parliament.
"Today, we are reaching the goal we have set out to. The bill has passed through Parliament in a record time: yesterday in the Senate, today in the Chamber of Deputies; we are expecting President Iohannis to promulgate the law and sign the documents," added Fifor.
At a plenary session on Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies passed, 279 to one and one abstention, a bill on surface-to-air defence capabilities for a strategic acquisition programme of surface-to-air missile systems.