The Minister of National Defence, Mihnea Motoc, met with Ismet Yilmaz, his Turkish counterpart at the Ministry of Defence of Turkey, during his official visit to Ankara, on Thursday, March 17.

The two officials discussed cooperation in the framework of the Alliance, focusing on the preparations of NATO Summit in Warsaw.

The Romanian defence minister acknowledged the special role played by Turkey as strategic partner and one of the most important cooperation partners of Romania in the region, stressing that the privileged relations of the two countries allows their beneficial cooperation towards ensuring regional stability and security.

Minister Motoc highlighted the need to focus the efforts for the consolidation of the allied presence on the eastern flank and sustaining the adaptation of NATO's strategic posture.

In this context, the two officials agreed on the bilateral and regional cooperation possibilities with a view to managing ongoing risks and threats in the extended Black Sea region.

During the talks, both delegations emphasized the need to consolidate bilateral defence cooperation taking into account the present security environment, that is highly volatile and complex.

The agenda of the activity in Ankara included visits to military objectives.

Press Department