Romania's Chief of Defence (CoD) Daniel Petrescu on Monday met visiting Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly at the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base to discuss regional security and NATO support to the management of the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war waged by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MApN), Petrescu thanked Joly for the participation of Canadian comrades in NATO commands deployed in Romania and for the participation of the Royal Canadian Air Force in five deployments of NATO enhanced air policing missions in Romania, Agerpres.ro informs.
"The presence of the Canadian military across NATO's full range of defensive measures underscores the strength of the transatlantic link among the allied nations. Canada's participation in the enhanced air policing missions in Romania since 2014 confirms Canada's commitment to the defence of the NATO space and the interoperability of the Romanian and Canadian air forces," Petrescu is quoted as saying.
Petrescu also praised the excellent co-operation ties between the Romanian and Canadian troops as visible in the mission under the auspices of the UN in the Mali war zone.
Canada is a NATO member with a strong contribution to initiatives to reinforce NATO's deterrence and defence posture in the Black Sea region.