The minister of National Defence, Angel Tilvar, met on Monday with the acting head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, Mara Roman, on the occasion of which he stressed that the EU’s strategic approach to the Black Sea region must also include support for states in the region facing hybrid threats and the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

„European developments in the field of defence and Romania’s prospects in this context were the main topics of discussion of the two officials, a separate topic being the role of the European Union in supporting Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova,” reads a press release from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

The Defence minister highlighted the support offered by Romania to the two states, which is circumscribed to European integration and resilience building efforts.

The two officials also referred to the status and prospects of the main European initiatives and instruments relevant to defence, such as the European Defence Fund, military mobility, the European Defence Industry Strategy and the need to strengthen the Defence Technological and Industrial Base.

„It is important that the European defence industry develops in a geographically balanced way and that small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups across Europe are integrated into the industrial ecosystem. EU-NATO cooperation on this issue is also essential to make use of the potential of the instruments that both organisations have at their disposal,” said the minister.

The meeting of the two officials highlighted the increasing role of the European Commission in supporting Member States on the security and defence dimension, and the need to further develop the synergy of EU-NATO relations.

AGERPRES