The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihnea Motoc, participated, at the invitation of the Polish defence minister, Antoni Macierewicz, in the ceremony organized, on Friday, May 13, at the US Ballistic Missile Defense Base in Redzikowo, Poland, in the presence of Poland's President Andrzej Duda, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment Patrick Auroy, as well as of other US and Polish officials.

The Redzikowo military base will be a part of the US missile defence system developed in Europe and NATO's comprehensive missile defence architecture, as the 3rd phase of the development of the European component of the US missile defence system (European Phased Adaptive Approach / EPAA), to be completed by 2018.

The presence of the Romanian Minister in this event is the expression of the allied solidarity and cohesion in the context in which on May 12 the missile defence system at Deveselu was made operational within a ceremony highlighting the special strategic importance of this project for Romania and Poland, for the Alliance and for the Euro-Atlantic security, in general.

Later in the day, minister Motoc had a bilateral meeting with his Polish counterpart. The talks agenda included the common priorities within the allied framework, aimed at preparing the agenda of the upcoming Summit in Warsaw, ensuring the best ways to strengthen military security on the eastern flank.

The two ministers assessed the recent developments in the complex and unpredictable regional security context and pointed out the importance of an integrated approach of the entire eastern flank of the Alliance and a balance in securing the allied response to the threats coming both from the north and from the south of the same flank. They also stressed the need to adapt the deterrence capability to such threats.

Ministrul Motoc si omologul sau au convenit asupra coordonarii pozitiilor celor doua state, in cadrul aliat, in vederea identificarii unor noi modalitati practice de cooperare si sprijin reciproc pentru consolidarea prezentei inaintate aliate pe intregul flanc estic al NATO.

While talking of the the strategic importance of the Black Sea to the security of the entire Alliance, Minister Motoc mentioned the need to consolidate the allied presence in the region. He pointed out that Romania endorses the allied initiatives related to the northern segment of the eastern flank. The Polish defence minister also spoke of Romania's proposals concerning the southern dimension of the same flank.

Minister Motoc and his counterpart agreed on coordinating the position of their respective countries in the Alliance with a view to identifying new practical ways of cooperation and mutual support in consolidating a forward position of the Alliance along the entire eastern flank of NATO.

Press Department