Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea met with Dr. H.C. Susanne Kastner, Chairwoman of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag and the leader of the Romanian-German friendship group in the German Parliament at ministry headquarters on Wednesday September 22.

During the talks, the officials approached topics such as the development of military cooperation relations based on the Romanian-German partnership, the two countries’ participation in developing NATO and EU security policy, joint training and participation in international missions within ISAF, KFOR, EUFOR.

'I appreciate the remarkable relation we have with the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany. We have had the benefit of your counseling in defence and security matters, of training over 900 Romanian troops in your country, in different education institutions as well as experience exchanges in Alliance procedures, common training and participation in the theaters of operations\' the defence minister said.

Minister Gabriel Oprea emphasized that cooperation relations should include fields such as strategic planning, military transformation according to the new Strategic Concept of the Alliance, mutual training of personnel as well as military technology.

'I believe that the talks I will have with Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, the Federal Minister of Defence, during my official visit in Germany next week, will enhance our bilateral military cooperation' defence minister said.

Mrs. Susanne Kastner also seemed pleased with Romania’s willingness to have a political and military dialogue with Germany, which has a bearing on the development of a long-lasting friendship and cooperation relations, based on camaraderie and trust. Mrs. Kastner was interested in Romanian experience in giving up conscription and developing a professional military and emphasized the importance of bilateral military cooperation in defence industry.

The defence minister thanked Mrs. Susanne Kastner for the efforts to consolidate Romanian-German relations she made from both her position in the German Parliament and her prodigious social and humanitarian activity carried out in relation with Romania.

MoND Press Office