In July 2018, at the NATO Summit in Brussels (Belgium), the President of Romania, his Excellency Mr. Klaus-Werner IOHANNIS, announced Romania’s offer to develop a command and control capability on its territory in order to adapt to an increasingly unstable regional and international security environment and in the context of the adaptation process of the NATO Command Structure. Romania’s commitment has been welcomed by the Allies. Further discussions and meetings within the Alliance paved the ways for preparing the establishment and development of the new HQ.
On April 16, 2020, the Homeland Defense Supreme Council approved the establishment of the Headquarters Multinational Corps South-East on the national territory, in Sibiu, with temporary deployment in Bucharest. Romania officially committed to the role of framework nation.
The Supplementary Agreement to the 1952 Paris Protocol on the status of international military headquarters, previously signed by the Romanian Government and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and the Supreme Allied Command Transformation, and ratified by the Romanian Parliament on December 2, 2015, provides the necessary legal framework for NATO command and control structures to operate in Romania. The framework has already been implemented for the Headquarters Multinational Division South-East (HQ MND-SE) and the NATO Integration Force Unit (NFIU).
In March 2020, the Post Allocation Conference and the Memorandum of Understanding Conference took place at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, with the participation of representatives from many NATO member states. Most of the participating nations committed to support the development of the new multinational HQ, including with personnel and/or logistics.
On the Romanian President’s proposal, on June 18, 2020, the Romanian Parliament endorsed the Decision on the establishment of HQ MNC-SE in Sibiu, with temporary deployment in Bucharest. In consequence to the Parliament’s decision, HQ MNC-SE will have the international military headquarters status, subordinated to an Allied command.
The ceremony for the establishment of the Headquarters Multinational Corps South-East (HQ MNC-SE) took place on July 23 at the Joint National Training Center (JNTC) “GETICA” from Cincu, County of Brasov, with the participation of the President of Romania, his Excellency Klaus IOHANNIS, the Minister of National Defense, Nicolae-Ionel CIUCĂ, and the Romanian Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel PETRESCU. During the ceremony, President IOHANNIS handed over the identification flag of MNC-SE to Major General Tomiță-Cătălin TOMESCU, appointed as Commander of MNC-SE by Order of the ROU Minister of Defense.
In accordance with the Nord Atlantic Council (NAC) decision, as of February 16, HQ MNC-SE was activated as a NATO Military Body and enjoys the status of NATO International Military Headquarters in accordance with the Paris Protocol on the status of international military headquarters set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Paris on August 28, 1952, and in accordance with the Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the status of their forces, signed in London, June 19, 1951. The activation officially integrates HQ MNC-SE within the NATO Force Structure (NFS).
On June 14, 2021, at the end of the DEFENDER Europe 21 Command Post Exercise, HQ MNC-SE Commander, Lieutenant-General Tomiță-Cătălin TOMESCU declared the Initial Operational Capability of HQ MNC-SE, which will allow this Headquarters to operate in its corps role in the NATO Force Structure.
Starting with July 1, 2021, in accordance with the Romanian Parliament Decision no. 8 of June 18, 2020, Headquarters Multinational Corps South-East (HQ MNC-SE) was relocated from Bucharest and began to officialy operate in Sibiu Garrison.
On February 28, in Sibiu Garrison, the Multinational Corps South East (HQ MNC-SE) held the Change of Command Ceremony. Lieutenant General Tomiță-Cătălin TOMESCU, who has been in charge of HQ MNC-SE since its establishment in July 2020, handed over command of the multinational corps to Major General Dragoş-Dumitru IACOB. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Romanian Defense Staff, General Daniel PETRESCU, the Deputy Commander of the Allied Joint Forces Command Naples, Lieutenant General Jocelyn PAUL, the Commander of the Allied Land Forces Command (LANDCOM), Lieutenant General Roger J. CLOUTIER, and representatives of public authorities and structures from the national system of defense, public order and national security.
On January 20, 2023, during the hand over-take over ceremony organized at HQ Multinational Division South-East (MND-SE), in Bucharest/Romania, MNC-SE assumed the command and control of NATO Land Forces deployed in Bulgaria and Romania: Headquarters Multinational Division South East: HQ MNDSE, NFIU Bulgaria and NATO Force Integration Unit Romania.
