The Minister of National Defence Mihai Fifor had a meeting with the US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, on Thursday, February 15th, during the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels.

The two officials discussed topics related to the security situation in the Black Sea region and the allied priorities for the next NATO Summit. In this context, minister Mihai Fifor pointed out that the recent security developments in the area require strengthening the Alliance's defence and deterrence posture on the entire eastern flank.

At the same time, he mentioned Romania's efforts to fulfill the assumed commitments, in particular by maintaining the allocation of two percent of the GDP for defence in 2018 and over the following years, a significant part of the defence budget being allotted to military equipment for the security of Romania. In this regard, Minister Mihai Fifor briefed the audience on the state of implementing the procurement plan of the Romanian military, stating that, in 2018, a special attention will be paid to the improvement of the maritime capabilities.

Romania's constant and significant participation in the allied operations is another dimension of our country's contribution to assuming the allied security responsibilities, Romania being the fourth contributor with troops in Afghanistan.

The US Defense Secretary James Mattis welcomed Romanian efforts to fulfill the commitments made to the Alliance to strengthen the collective defence, stating that our country is a model for the budget allocation and the defence investments as well as the constant support to the allied operations. He highlighted that the Romanian troops in Afghanistan won the respect of all military allies, including the US Army,due to their courage and professionalism. James Mattis appreciated that this is an example of Romania's determination to be actively involved in the Alliance's overall efforts to manage the current security aspects.

The US Secretary of Defence assured the Romanian minister that the USA maintain their commitment to Romania's defence, including its presence at Deveselu and Mihail Kogalniceanu base, as well as the finished procurement programs.

James Mattis expressed his availability to make a visit to Romania, at a date to be communicated later.

The Press Office