Romania’s Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu on Friday welcomed a delegation of the U.S. Department of Defence, led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for European and NATO Policies, David Baker, to discuss, among other things, security in the Black Sea region.

According to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN), the meeting was followed by an extended consultation session hosted by MAE’s Secretary of State for Defence Policy, Planning and International Affairs Sorin-Dan Moldovan, with the participation of the deputy Chief of the Defence Dragos Iacob.

On the agenda of the bilateral discussions were priority issues regarding the Romania-US Strategic Partnership, cooperation within NATO and the security situation in the Black Sea region.

„The United States of America is an essential partner to Romania. The 28 years of Strategic Partnership confirm the solidity of a relationship based on trust, common objectives and commitments. In the current regional context, this cooperation is not only opportune, but also absolutely necessary,” Mosteanu is quoted as saying in a press statement.

According to MApN, Romanian and American officials discussed Romania’s role as a security provider on NATO’s eastern flank, especially in the current context generated by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

„The active contribution of our country to strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture was highlighted, including by recently taking over the command, for the next six months, of the task force for the fight against sea mines – MCM Black Sea. In this framework, the Romanian side reaffirmed its commitment to continuing investments in defence, including by allocating 5% of GDP by 2035, an objective pledged at the NATO Summit in The Hague, as part of Romania’s strategic responsibility in collective defence.’

The importance of developing the military infrastructure necessary to support NATO’s presence on the national soil was also underlined, highlighting the essential role of the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, which hosts the most significant American military presence in Romania, and the national efforts to transform it into the largest military base on NATO’s eastern flank.

At the same time, the role of the Aegis Ashore facility at Deveselu in NATO’s airspace protection architecture was reconfirmed.

„Cooperation in the area of training and joint exercises was another major item on the agenda, with a focus on the development of the F-16 European Training Center at Fetesti, a project implemented in cooperation with the American partner, which will strengthen Romania’s capacity to provide advanced training at NATO standards for pilots from NATO member and partner states,” according to MApN.

AGERPRES