Defence Minister Radu Miruta held talks on Thursday with French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin, with discussions focusing on current developments in the security environment, particularly the regional consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and their impact on NATO's eastern flank.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting in Brussels. The two officials highlighted the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security and the need to maintain a coordinated and coherent approach at Allied level, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informed.
A significant part of the discussions focused on bilateral defence cooperation, with the Romanian side expressing appreciation for France's substantial contribution to strengthening the deterrence and defence posture on Romania's territory, particularly in its capacity as framework nation for the NATO Battlegroup in Cincu. Radu Miruta highlighted the excellent level of cooperation within this structure, stressing that the presence of French troops represents a tangible expression of Allied solidarity and unity, according to a press release sent by the Ministry of National Defence to AGERPRES.
The talks also addressed ways of expanding cooperation in the defence industry by identifying joint projects aimed at localising production in Romania and strengthening technical-military partnerships. In this context, the convergence of Romania's and France's objectives regarding the strengthening of the European defence industrial and technological base was highlighted, the statement said.
The agenda of the meeting also included coordination of the two states' positions within NATO and the European Union, as well as the main lines of action ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara. The importance of implementing the commitments undertaken at the previous summit was reiterated, including with regard to increasing defence investment, as well as the need to continue joint efforts to strengthen stability and security in the Black Sea region.
Defence Minister Miruta emphasised the importance of the Strategic Partnership with France, noting that the development of bilateral defence cooperation has a direct impact on force interoperability, the consolidation of military capabilities and the enhancement of readiness on NATO's eastern flank.
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