The Black Sea region has always had strategic value, the Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar declared on Tuesday, who participated in the meeting of EU ambassadors accredited in Bucharest.

The meeting of EU ambassadors took place at the invitation of the Polish Ambassador to Romania, Pawel Soloch, and the event was organized in the context of Poland holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The discussions focused on Poland’s priorities in the field of defense during its mandate, as well as on Romania’s main directions of action in this sector, in the context of current security challenges at regional and international levels, according to a press release from the Ministry of National Defense.

According to the cited source, Minister Angel Tilvar expressed his support for the European strategic objectives presented in the White Paper on European Defense Preparedness 2030.

„Through the new financial instrument called SAFE (Security Action for Europe), proposed by the European Commission, EU member states will be able to invest additionally for joint defense procurement. I reiterated Romania’s interest in several priority areas in the White Paper, which will allow the development of capabilities, in accordance with the needs of the Romanian Army”, emphasized Tilvar.

The Romanian official reaffirmed Romania’s firm commitment to the security of the European Union’s eastern border, emphasizing the strategic role of the Black Sea region.

The minister of National Defense highlighted the fact that the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine required not only the strengthening of the defense posture in Europe, but also the acceleration of efforts to consolidate European financing mechanisms for joint projects for the development and acquisition of military equipment.

„The Black Sea region has always had strategic value and we are glad to see that more and more states share this assessment. EU leaders mandated, in June 2024, the development of a European Union Strategy for the Black Sea. In the same spirit, we will continue to promote the importance of the Black Sea region, so that it remains a priority on the EU and NATO agenda. I express my appreciation to all allies who deploy troops and capabilities on national territory to strengthen the Eastern Flank. Your continued presence is proof of the unity and solidarity that define our Alliance”, said the minister of National Defense.

Angel Tilvar also emphasized the importance of the Western Balkans region, an area of strategic interest for Romania. In this complex security context, our country has demonstrated its commitment through substantial participation in EU missions and operations, the minister highlighting, in this regard, the EUFOR Althea mission, where Romania holds the command of the force and contributes with a significant number of soldiers.

AGERPRES