Romanian, Greek DefMins discuss strengthening military relations between Romania, Greece

On a two-day visit to Greece, Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor on Monday discussed with his Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos the consolidation of defence co-operation between Romania and Greece.

According to a press statement released by the Romanian Ministry of Defence (MApN), the two ministers reviewed the latest developments in the Romanian-Greek defence co-operation, bilaterally and regionally, as well as inside NATO and the European Union.

"The two officials expressed their mutual interest in strengthening defence co-operation relations, including in the area of defence capabilities development, both by capitalising on the Romanian-Greek co-operation options and by joining multinational initiatives developed under the aegis of NATO and EU, having identified areas of interest to underpin the initiation of joint projects for the defence industries of the two countries," according to MApN.

Fifor reiterated an invitation to the Greek Armed Forces to contribute to the commission of NATO bodies hosted on Romania's soil and to participate in multinational exercises planned for 2018 by Romania.

He also thanked his Greek counterpart for having contributed senior staff officers to "Sea Shield 18," the largest NATO exercise in the Black Sea region this year, organised by the Romanian Navy.

Also discussed were the modernisation and acquisition programmes of the two national armed forces, as well as the fair sharing of responsibilities and risks among NATO members. At the same time, there was an exchange of views on security in the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region and the Mediterranean Sea.

Fifor on Monday started a two-day official visit to Greece.