The Chief of the Defense Staff (SMap), General Daniel Petrescu, paid an official visit to the United States of America, from October 31 to November 9, in which context he expressed his confidence all the proposals on the achievement of capabilities through the endowment programs that take place together with the American partner would be carried out, according to Agerpres.

The program of the Chief of Defense Staff in the USA included visits to military bases and meetings in three states: Alabama, Florida and Washington.

According to a press release from the Defense Ministry (MApN), the agenda included discussions on the security situation in the Black Sea, the perspective of strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense position, the perspective of bilateral cooperation and in an allied context, as well as the analysis of the status of the endowment programs that are taking place together with the American partner.

Regarding the bilateral military cooperation, the head of the SMap appreciated that it remains on the same upward trend.

„I am confident that we will accomplish what we propose in terms of achieving capabilities through the endowment programs and that, in the future, the contribution of the United States in Romania will remain significant. We are following the implementation of the effort lines from the joint ‘USA and Romania Roadmap for Defense Cooperation 2020-2030’. Also, next year will mark three decades of partnership between the Romanian Army and the National Guard of the state of Alabama, with positive effects in terms of the joint training of the forces, the exercises in a multinational format, the training of the air navigation personnel, within the military leadership development programs, as well as the initiatives in the medical field”, stated General Petrescu, according to MApN.

In Montgomery, Alabama, General Daniel Petrescu had meetings with the commander of the National Guard, Major General Sheryl Gordon, the governor of the state, Kay Ivey, and with representatives of the US Army Security Assistance Command (structure of the US Army that mainly develops security assistance programs).

In Tampa, Florida, he visited SOCOM (Special Operations Command), where he met with the commander of the structure, General Bryan P. Fenton, with leaders in the field of special operations forces, as well as with Romanian troops stationed in the American commands deployed in this area.

The head of SMAp discussed, in Washington DC, with representatives of the American military leadership, respectively with the vice president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army, Admiral Christopher W. Grady, the head of the Land Forces, General James C. McConville, the head of the Air Forces, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Commandant of the National Guard, Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Deputy Commandant of the US Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, and Vice Chief of the Naval Forces, Admiral Lisa Franchetti.

Also, General Daniel Petrescu met with representatives of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and representative think-tanks in the field of security (Center for Maritime Analysis, The Heritage Foundation and Hudson Institute).

Agerpres