Minister of National Defense Nicolae Ciuca participated on Tuesday in the informal video conference of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Defense format, the Ministry said in a release.
The video conference was chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell Fontelles, and was joined by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix.
The Romanian Minister advocated EU solidarity, arguing that a consistent response to the effects of the current crisis can be provided only together. Thus, Nicolae Ciuca reiterated the importance of adopting measures to combat misinformation and highlighted the need to continue multilateral approaches to increase cooperation among member states, but also with key partners such as NATO and the UN.
The discussions approached the lessons learned and the strategic implications of the COVID-19 crisis on the EU security and defense, as well as the possible ways to follow for the most effective management of the problems faced by the member states and the EU as a whole.
Member states acknowledged the fact that the European Initiative on Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) can provide the necessary framework for generating projects that increase the Union's preparedness and resilience. Civil-military cooperation in the context of a pandemic or a major health crisis could be approached at the next review of PESCO.
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