The Minister of National Defence, Mihnea Motoc and his Portuguese counterpart, Jose Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, had a series of official talks at the Palace of the National Military Club, on Friday, October 7.

The meeting of the two ministers took place during the participation of the Portuguese delegation at the ceremony organized at the 86th Locotenent aviator Gheorghe Mociornita Air Base upon rendering operational the first six F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Following the talks in Portugal, the two ministers analyzed the areas where bilateral military cooperation can be taken further with a view to maximizing the potential created with the successful F-16 program. Based on this, they discussed new possible ways of cooperation, such as research on military equipment and technologies and cyber defence.

Minister Motoc emphasized once more that the F-16 program should lead to an extension of bilateral relations, especially in the economic field. At the same time, he said that for our countries, as frontier states of both NATO and the EU, such instances as Monte Real and Fetesti should result in a sustained implementation of both the decisions of NATO Summit in Warsaw and the EU Global Strategy. They agreed that the two countries should coordinate their positions along the main lines of NATO and EU agendas, that could also result in some reflection documents as established at bilateral level.

They took again into discussion the request to involve the Portuguese part in implementing the Romanian initiative regarding the allied forward position on its national territory, at all the three military services. Minister Azeredo Lopes said the Portuguese authorities were open to the idea and stated Lisbon's intention to be involved at allied level and to contribute in a specific way to consolidating the deterrence and defence posture of NATO.

Press Department