A delegation of the Ministry of National Defence headed by Secretary of State Viorel Oancea, participates in the informal meeting of European Union Defence Ministers held in Budapest, on February 24 and 25.

The reunion, organized under the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union, will be chaired by Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In the evening of February 24, EU missions and operations would be discussed with focus on recent developments in Somalia (maritime operation Atalanta and training mission EUTM) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Althea).

Two sessions are to be held on Friday, February 25, Vineri, one dedicated to EU crisis management capabilities, under the auspices of Weimar Initiative (French, German and Polish) the other one to EU partnerships with NATO and UN).

An update will be made on the evolution of the establishment of the European External Action Service with focus on crisis management structures.

MoND Press Office