President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday welcomed visiting French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, according to Agerpres.

The Presidential Administration reports that at the meeting, the latest developments in and prospects for a strategic partnership between Romania and France were addressed, with an emphasis on the defence component, the security state of play in the Black Sea region and its trends, the latest developments in the implementation of the NATO Madrid Summit decisions, and the agenda of the European Union.

„The President of Romania appreciated the solidity of the ties between the two countries and thanked France for its efforts to establish and make operational a NATO battle group in Romania as part of NATO’s commitment to strengthen the alliance’s defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern flank.”

He pointed to the excellent cooperation between the two nations on joint missions under the auspices of NATO, the EU, the UN and the OSCE, as well as in multinational exercises.

Regarding the security crisis in the region generated by the military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Iohannis pointed out the „multidimensional impact” it has on regional, European and Euro-Atlantic security.

He emphasised the importance of keeping up NATO unity and solidarity, including in terms of support for Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens, as well as improving the ability of NATO member states to act together.

Iohannis also highlighted, amid continuous deterioration of the security environment, the importance of the partnership between NATO and the European Union, as well as the need to strengthen it.

According to the Presidential Administration, the chief of state also highlighted the importance of supporting the resilience and defence capacity of neighbouring partners in order to face the security challenges they face.

Lecornu appreciated France’s bilateral defence cooperation with Romania and confirmed his country’s readiness to continue their development and diversification.

The French official emphasised the professionalism of the Romanian military and the excellent co-operation between the two countries on missions and training activities carried out in a NATO or bilateral context.

„Minister Sebastien Lecornu thanked Romania for its efforts to secure the conditions for the stationing of French military on Romania’s soil and gave assurances that France will remain fully involved in the implementation of NATO decisions to ensure security on the Eastern flank in accordance with the decisions of the NATO Madrid Summit and with the directions included in the new Strategic Concept,” the Presidential Administration also shows.

Lecornu was on a state visit to Romania.

Agerpres