The Minister of Internal Affairs, Catalin Predoiu, held discussions on the bilateral relations between Romania and Greece, as well as on current issues of the regional and European agenda, with the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic, Lili Evangelia Grammatika.

„Our collaboration in the field of security and crisis management is not only necessary, but is becoming increasingly relevant in an international context marked by multiple challenges, such as regional conflicts, consistent migration and hybrid threats”, declared Minister Predoiu, according to a release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) transmitted to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

According to the cited source, in the current international context, in which security and crisis management are becoming increasingly complex activities, partnerships between the member states of the European Union and NATO are becoming essential.

The exchange of views highlighted the very good cooperation in the field of emergency situations.

In recent years, Romania has supported the Greek authorities, including by sending firefighting teams to help combat wildfires.

„The Romanian authorities are prepared to continue this support in 2025, by pre-positioning a contingent of firefighters and equipment to promote a rapid and efficient response in case of need,” the MAI informs.

The invitation to the Greek authorities to participate in the large-scale response exercise ConvEx-3, organized by the MAi in Bucharest, in June 2025, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was also reiterated.

Ambassador Lili Evangelia Grammatika thanked Romania for its constant commitment and support to the Hellenic Republic in managing emergency situations, underlining the importance of collaboration and solidarity between the two countries in the face of common challenges.

She appreciated the significant contribution of the Romanian fire brigades, showing that Romania is a reliable partner.

The interlocutors also addressed issues related to the common challenges in managing migration, an important topic that remains on the EU and national agenda.

„The efforts made in this area are considerable, as a balance is needed between managing humanitarian aspects and ensuring the internal security of the European Union, especially by preventing secondary flows of migrants”, stressed Catalin Predoiu.

The two states share common visions regarding the need to collaborate with third countries to manage the causes of origin, to strengthen readmission and to identify innovative solutions to the migration problem. The implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum was an aspect on which the interlocutors agreed that it would bring added security to the Union.

„The Romanian dignitary also highlighted the significant progress made by Romania in the field of managing illegal migration, highlighting the fact that in the last 18 months illegal migration has been reduced by approximately 70%. This success is due both to increased security measures at the borders and to close cooperation with neighboring states and European partners”, the cited source also informs.

AGERPRES