On Thursday, 29th April, the Minister of National Defence, Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, met with the Chief of Italian Defence Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli, as part of the official visit the general made in our country.

The talks mainly focused on current security topics listed on the North-Atlantic agenda, military cooperation and ways to increase collaboration relations.

In the context of the Strategic Consolidated Partnership between Romania and Italia, at military level, the cooperation between the two armed forces is on an ascending trend, both at bilateral format, through the participation in joint activities and at allied one by affiliating an Italian unit to the South-East Multinational Brigade, participating in the enhanced Air Policing missions and NATO operations, Romania and Italy having relevant contributions within their assumed commitments. The talks included the regional security situation, repatriation from Afghanistan and the participation in the European Union missions.

The Strategic Partnership between Romania and Italy offers the adequate framework for the development of the defence relations. The joint training during the bilateral and multinational exercises remains one of our priorities, the cooperation between our soldiers being the foundation of the increase of the interoperability at the level of the Services. Today's meeting is a new proof of the tight relations between the Romanian and Italian armed forces, adapted to the new reality and the context from the Black Sea and The Mediterranean, stated minister Ciuca during the meeting.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, appreciated the constant efforts of the Italian Armed Forces in implementing the assurance measures on NATO's Eastern Flank through the contribution to the augmentation of the air police service provided by the Romanian Air Force. I transmitted my Italian counterpart the fact that we also consider the consolidation of the ground and maritime component within the Enhanced Forward Presence and we encouraged the participation of the Italian staff personnel in the Allied C2 structures deployed on our territory , stated Lieutenant general Daniel Petrescu.

The official visit conducted by the Chief of the Italian Defence Staff over 28th 29th April took place following the invitation of Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu and included meetings with the command teams of the Services Staffs and the HQ South-East Multinational Corps and South-East Multinational Division.

The Press Office