On Monday, 20 June, Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, participated in a working lunch offered by his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo Guerini, as part of the visit the Romanian official paid to Bolzano in order to inaugurate the monument erected in the honor of the Romanian soldiers fallen on Italian territory during World War I.

The meeting agenda included topics referring to the cooperation within NATO, with focus on the allied priorities while preparing for the Madrid Summit from 29-30 June as well as topics related to the cooperation within EU, at bilateral and regional levels.

The Romanian defence minister emphasized the current excellent relations between the two countries' armed forces by thanking his Italian counterpart for Italy's participation in the enhanced Air Policing Missions conducted on Romanian territory and in the Black Sea Region, respectively for the presence of Cavour Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean, which represents an important contribution of Italy brought to the measures taken to ensure and consolidate the collective posture.

The two officials agreed upon the need to increase coordination and bilateral consultations, considering the current threats posed to the security environment.

Also, during his visit, minister Vasile Dincu met with representatives of the Romanian community from Bolzano, at the Romanian orthodox church from this city.

The Press Office