Romania’s Defence Minister Angel Tilvar on Monday met European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius in Brussels.

According to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN), discussions aimed at strengthening Romania’s defence readiness and intensifying European industrial cooperation, amid the new legislative package adopted by the European Commission, with strategic relevance for the European Union’s security.

The two officials analysed the means of achieving the objectives set out in the White Paper on European Defence Readiness and discussed capitalising on the financial support available through the „Readiness 2030” Package of Initiatives.

Tilvar underlined the need to make European instruments more flexible in order to facilitate defence investments and mentioned Romania’s intention to activate the derogation clause provided for in the Stability and Growth Pact. Also, the Romanian official expressed interest in accessing the funding under the SAFE (Safe Action for Europe) instrument, with a priority focus on projects dedicated to land and naval systems, infantry equipment, military counter-mobility solutions, command and control technologies.

„In a dynamic geopolitical context, defence investment is not only a security necessity, but also an opportunity to strengthen European solidarity. Romania actively follows this role, supporting the projects launched by the European Commission,” Tilvar is quoted as saying. Regarding the development of the European defence industry, he pleaded for a balanced geographical distribution of investments and for boosting cross-border collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises. He also remarked on the importance of expanding strategic partnerships with third countries that share European values, in order to strengthen global supply chains of critical raw materials. The two officials also highlighted the importance of speeding up the process of adopting the regulation on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP).

AGERPRES