National Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc and his Portuguese counterpart José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes discussed on Friday new potential directions for their countries' military cooperation, the National Defence Ministry informed in a press statement on Saturday.
The two ministers met at the National Military Club in Bucharest, in the context of the Portuguese delegation's participation, at the 86th Air Base "Flt. Lt. George Mociornita", in the handover ceremony of the first six F-16 fighters bought by the Romanian Air Force from Portugal.
"In continuation of the discussions held a week ago in Portugal, the two ministers reviewed the areas where bilateral military cooperation can be deepened in order to capitalize on the special potential created by the successful development of the F-16 program. On this foundation, potential new directions of cooperation were discussed, such as research on military equipment and technology and cyber defence," the cited source informs.
According to the release, the sides also looked at Portugal's request to get involved in the implementation of Romania's initiatives for the accomplishment of the forward allied presence on the national territory in the three specific areas - land, air and sea. Minister Azeredo Lopes expressed the openness of the Portuguese authorities to this subject, affirming Lisbon's intention to stay committed to the Alliance and make a concrete contribution to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense posture.
Minister Motoc also underscored the need for the excellent results of the F-16 program to inspire a wider development of bilateral relations, particularly in the economic field. He also mentioned that, given that Romania and Portugal are NATO and EU border states, moments like those in Monte Real and Fetesti should lead to a more sustained cooperation on implementing the decisions of the NATO Warsaw Summit and the EU Global Strategy. The sides also agreed on the importance and potential added value created by the two countries' coordinating their stances on major cases on the North-Atlantic Alliance and European Union agenda, which could lead, among others, to the presentation of bilaterally agreed reflection documents, the Defence Ministry's release also says.
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