Defence Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca met with Mark R. Vandroff, Deputy Assistant to the President of the Unites States of America and Senior Director for Defense Policy at National Security Council, on Friday, 9 October, at Washington.

The talks focused on the security situation of the Black Sea extended region, Romania's role on the allied Eastern Flank, respectively the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States of America in the field of defence.

In the context of the reconfiguration of the US military posture in Europe, minister Ciuca reiterated Romania's availability, expressed at the highest level, in hosting American troops, mentioning the modernization works taking place at the Mihail Kogalniceanu and Campia Turzii Air Bases.

Mark Vandroff highlighted Romania's extraordinary contribution in the allied operations and missions, the commitment of allocating 2% of the GDP for defence expenditures, as well as the development of relevant capabilities in the context of a complex and unpredictable security environment. The American official emphasized the fact that Romania is a model ally in the Black Sea region, with a major strategic relevance.

The meeting was also attended by the Romanian Ambassador to the USA, George Cristian Maior, and State Secretary and chief of Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru.

The Press Office