Flotilla Admiral Valentin Iacoblev handed over the command of the Romanian Navy Fleet to Flotilla Admiral Cornel-Eugen Cojocaru at a ceremony that took place on Monday in the Constanta military port, in the presence of the Romanian Navy Chief of Staff Mihai Panait, told Agerpres.
According to the Romanian Navy, after presenting the defence minister's order, Panait handed the battle flag of the Fleet to the new commander Cojocaru.
The whole event took place in the presence of the Navy commanders, officials of the Ministry of Defence, former Navy chiefs of staff and fleet commanders, as well as local administration officials.
Cojocaru graduated from the Dimitrie Cantemir Military High School at Breaza in 1988, then attended the Mircea cel Batran Navy Academy, Faculty of Navigation (1988-1993). After graduating from the naval academy, he was successively a commander of the Jupiter and the Venus diving support vessels, and in 1998 he became operations officer at the 175th Diving Ships Division, combat service commander of the Emil Racovita sea-going ship for divers, second officer at the Midia logistics combat ship and commander of the ship. After 2004, he was commander of the Constanta Training Ship, chief of staff of the 150th Naval Strike Division, and commander of the Marasesti frigate (2010-2016).
In 2017, he was appointed deputy chief of staff for training of the Fleet Command and in October 2018 became chief of staff of the Fleet Command. On March 1, 2021, he was appointed deputy commander for operations and training of the Navy Chief of Staff. On April 1, 2022, he was appointed deputy chief of the Navy Staff.