Minister of Defense, Teodor Melescanu participated Monday, May 14, in the Reunion of the Council for General Affairs and External Relations (CAGRE), the first formal meeting of Defense Ministers from the EU member states in which Romania participates as the EU member.

It was our country's first participation in the Board Committee of the European Defense Agency (EDA). During the work sessions the Romanian Minister of Defense stated to be in favor of acceleration process of analyze for our country's access in the European Defense Agency Behavior Code, the action being a priority of his mandate: It is very clear the European Defense Agency represents due its programs and debated projects an opportunity for the endowment of Romania in defense and national security and in solving the problems of the national defense industry.

Teodor Melescanu stated that one should use all the possibilities for Romania to benefit of the best endowment in military equipment and in the same time one should offer a frame for the trade societies for them to participate in this European approach.

According to this Code, all the participating states should ensure the transparency of the military purchase contracts, any contract over one billion Euro should be edited on Internet allowing all societies from the EU members to participate in the auction.

The Reunion agenda also enlisted the presentation of the German presidency priority, our country is sharing: EU-UN cooperation and development of defense capacity. The Defense Ministers meeting in this format represented a good opportunity to know the aims of the present Portuguese presidency.

As for the Western Balkans, the Minister of Defense appreciated the situation in the region could be de-tensioned only after the EU very clear sign related to the access to the European Union for the countries from this region.

During the Reunion, Teodor Melescanu met NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the European Union High Representative of the Policy of Security and Common Defense, Javier Solana and the Defense Ministers of the Great Britain, Hungary, Finland and Sweden.

MoD Spokesperson