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DefMin Tilvar says Romania's support for Ukraine, firm and constant
National Defence Minister Angel Tilvar attended Tuesday's meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in the format of EU Defence Ministers, which took place in Brussels, where he assured that Romania will support Ukraine firmly and constantly, told Agerpres.
According to MApN, Tilvar reconfirmed Romania's support, including in the area of training, presenting, in this context, information on the opening of the European F-16 training centre in Romania. The training of Romanian pilots will be a priority, but it will also be open to allied and partner states, including Ukraine.
"Our support for Ukraine is firm and constant. It is important to remain focused on the Black Sea region and to maintain unity in supporting Ukraine," the Romanian minister said.
The EU's operational efforts in various theatres around the globe were also discussed, as well as the implementation of the commitments undertaken through the Strategic Compass on the development of the EU Rapid Deployment Capability (EU RDC).
On the sidelines of the meeting, EU ministers attended a breakfast meeting with the NATO Secretary General. Discussions focused on the resilience efforts of both organisations, in particular with regard to critical infrastructure protection. Progress in making the EU-NATO dialogue operational on this subject was highlighted.
"Ensuring the resilience of critical infrastructure is also an important element of EU-NATO cooperation, and this dialogue needs to be strengthened," Minister Tilvar pointed out.
The Romanian official also called for deepening EU-NATO cooperation and coordination in support of partners, especially for the Republic of Moldova, a country facing hybrid security threats.
The main topic of discussion at the meeting was EU support for Ukraine in the context of the Russian Federation's war of aggression. Long-term support was discussed, with a view to adapting current instruments, such as the European Peace Facility, to respond in a structured way to the requirements of the Ukrainian partner and to reaffirm the EU's determination to support it, the National Defence Ministry informs.
On the sidelines of the FAC meeting, the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA) also met in Defence Ministers format. During the meeting, the new priorities of the Military Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the budget for 2024 were approved.
Angel Tilvar stressed the importance of including the lessons learned from Ukraine in the process of developing European military capabilities and adapting European industry to the new security realities. He reiterated Romania's commitment to jointly develop with European partners solutions in this area and to support the national defence industry, in the context of the European Commission's initiatives in this sense.
