Minister of National Defence Ionut Mosteanu met on Friday with the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to Romania, Paulo Cunha Alves, for talks that focused, among other topics, on the consequences of the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which continues to „seriously affect” stability and security in the wider Black Sea region.

According to a press release from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN), the minister presented Romania’s perspective on NATO’s Eastern Sentry initiative, as well as on recent European projects – the European Drone Wall and Eastern Flank Watch – aimed at strengthening surveillance and defence capabilities along the Eastern Flank.

Minister Mosteanu expressed gratitude for Portugal’s commitment to Allied efforts to ensure security and stability in the Black Sea region, while also welcoming Lisbon’s contribution to NATO structures stationed in Romania, MApN noted.

The discussions also covered the industrial dimension of defence cooperation, highlighting opportunities to enhance bilateral ties, including through the European financial instrument SAFE.

„Another key point of the discussions concerned operational commitments conducted under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), particularly in Africa. Romania and Portugal are among the states with the largest troop contributions to the EUTM RCA mission, which Romania will command until September 2026,” the press release further reads. AGERPRES