NATO countries have agreed on a 27 billion euro plan to renew the alliance's fuel supply network in Europe, a step Romania described on Thursday as 'essential' for security.

Ambassadors of the 32 member countries of the alliance approved the massive project to modernize and expand the network during a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, according to Agence France-Presse.

A NATO statement said: 'The 27 billion euro ($31 billion) investment will modernize the existing NATO infrastructure used to store and distribute fuel.'

The alliance noted that the plan includes 'new facilities, including pipelines in the eastern and southeastern parts of the alliance, and will ensure that NATO forces receive the energy supplies they need to maintain their combat readiness.'

Romanian President Nikosur Dan, whose country's airspace has been penetrated by drones dozens of times since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said the project is 'essential for strengthening security' on the alliance's eastern flank against the Russian threat. Officials said the project will take about 25 years to complete.

The NATO Central Europe Pipeline System was built in the late 1950s to supply the alliance's forces with fuel during the Cold War. The network stretches 5,300 kilometers, crossing Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, and pumps fuel to 29 NATO depots.