During the official talks of Wednesday, November 26, that took place at the defence ministry location, both Minister Mircea Dusa, and the Netherlands Ambassador to Bucharest, Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel, declared that as far as bilateral cooperation is concerned, Romania and the Netherlands have similar positions related to their priorities in developing military capabilities. The six agreements signed concerning the military field stand proof of that and create the legal framework for future cooperation between the two countries.

The Netherlands have an advanced training center in the filed of neutralizing and destroying explosive ammunition whereas Minister Dusa expressed his interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation in this field.

The security situation on NATO's eastern flank and in Iraq was another topic of discussion. The Romanian official appreciated that 'implementing reassurance measures after the Wales Summit will consolidate collective defence, crisis management but also security by cooperation'.

As to implementing the conclusions of the European Council of December 2013, the defence minister pointed out the importance of the Action Plan on the EU Maritime Security Strategy in asserting the EU as a reliable partner in the maritime field.

As to the last developments in the area neighboring the EU, Minister Dusa emphasized the importance of the security in the region and in the Black Sea area.

In turn, Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel appreciated the good cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and said he hoped that the bilateral military cooperation would continue along the same lines.

MoND Press Office