On Friday, 20 January, Minister of National Defence , Angel Tilvar, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, participated in the eight meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), held at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The UDCG Meeting was chaired by the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, and attended by ministerial delegations from more than 50 NATO member states and partners.

The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, delivered a speech at the opening of the working sessions, via videoconference.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher G. Cavoli and a delegation of the European Union also attended the Ramstein conference.

A delegation headed by the Defence Minister Oleksi Reznikov also participated in the UDCG Meeting.

The propose of the meeting was to assess the current situation with regard to the aggression war initiated by the Russian Federation as well as the status of the military and humanitarian assistance offered to Ukraine by the participating countries.

The Romanian official emphasized Romania's involvement in supporting Ukraine by pointing out its humanitarian dimension, the medical assistance and the aerial MEDEVAC operations to other states provided to the injured Ukrainian citizens.

At the same time, the defence minister emphasized the steps taken by Romania in order to facilitate the transit of over 11 million tons of cereal from Ukraine to the areas where the cereal was needed.

I strongly believe that we proved determination and efficiency in supporting the neighboring Ukraine but also in the consolidation of our unity. Over 50 countries and organizations met for a single cause to support a free and democratic nation against Russian Federation's illegal and unprovoked aggression. We must continue offering multidimensional support to Ukraine to help it protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. I consider our solidarity, the value we share and democracy aren't just simple statements but actions which lead to concrete results, minister Angel Tilvar stated during the meeting.

Also, the Romanian official emphasized the constant support Romania provides to NATO and EU for the projects and initiatives taken in support of Ukraine but also within the international sanctions regime concerning the Russian Federation.

The Press Office