Minister of Defense, Teodor Melescanu will pay his first official visit in Bulgaria, between May 30 and 31, invited by his Bulgarian counterpart.

Minister Melescanu declared he wanted to visit the neighboring country due to the very vivid military relations and the bilateral cooperation between Romania and Bulgaria.

Our countries have a common interest in ensuring the security and stability in the Western Balkans and the enlarged Black Sea region. Both of the states will set the military facilities at disposal for the Strategic Partnership with the United States and both of them are concerned in their armed forces endowment and modernization. This is why the idea of creating a tandem Romania-Bulgaria on defense is more than welcomed stated Minister Teodor Melescanu during the meeting with the Bulgarian counterpart, Veselin Bliznakov.

The Romanian Defense Minister suggested a very tight cooperation between the two states in acquisition area and spread the idea for both of the states to share the costs of maintenance and professional training. Separately, Romania and Bulgaria do not represent a so big market to impose their interests but together, we do have a better chance stated Minister Melescanu.

The two officials also had talks on the environment of security in the Balkans and the enlarged Black Sea region, the cooperation regional initiatives (SEDM, BLACKSEAFOR, BLACK SEA HARMONY) and the stage of the Romanian-Bulgarian military cooperation.

In the first day of the visit in the neighboring country, Minister Melescanu laid a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Sofia and had official meetings with the vice PM and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivazlo Kalfin, and the president of the Commission of Defense of the Bulgarian Parliament, Anghel Naidenov.

Minister Teodor Melescanu will be received Thursday, May 31, by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov.

MoD Spokesperson