New Meeting of the High-Level Group on Defence with the United States of America

A delegation of the Ministry of National Defence, headed by State Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, participated on Thursday, September 14, in a new round of strategic dialogue with the United States of America, as part of the High-Level Group on Defence.

The US delegation was headed by Celeste Wallander, the US Secretary of Defense Assistant for International Security.

The talks within this bilateral cooperation format, which meets annually, focused on the development of the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine and its consequences at regional and global levels, the posture of US forces in Romania, the US support provided throughout the Romanian Armed Forces’ modernization process, the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa, the implementation stage of the Roadmap for Defense Cooperation, as well as the prospects for the development of the bilateral relationship in this field.

State Secretary Simona Cojocaru delivered a detailed presentation on the security situation in the Black Sea region, from the perspective of the recent attacks on the Ukrainian ports at the Danube, in the close proximity of the Romanian borders.

Also, the Romanian official brought up to discussion the foreshadowing of a consistent agenda for the next year’s NATO Summit from Washington, when the Alliance marks 75 years since its establishment. "In this extremely complicated period for the European security, we must all continue to prove unity and resilience and contribute to the consolidation of the North Atlantic Alliance, which today offers Romania the strongest security guarantees in its history. Since February 24, 2022, we have demonstrated together what solidarity means and the fact that we cannot be divided, no matter how difficult the challenges we face might be", Simona Cojocaru stated.

The meeting of the High-Level Group on Defense represented a good opportunity for the Romanian delegation to further consolidate the dialogue at the political-military level and to emphasize the good results obtained over the last year.


On the occasion of the visit to Washington, the American Secretary of Defense offered State Secretary Simona Cojocaru the highest award for foreigners of the US Department of Defense, the "Medal for Exceptional Public Service", in recognition of her efforts made to consoldate the Romania - US Strategic Partnership.


At the end of the meeting, both parties issued a Joint Statement:

Joint Statement on the U.S.-Romanian Bilateral Defense Relationship, Sept. 14, 2023

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, met with her Romanian counterpart, Romanian State Secretary for Defense Simona Cojocaru, at the Pentagon today to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues during the annual High-Level Defense Group.
The two leaders condemned Putin's brutal war of choice in Ukraine and affirmed their unyielding support for the Ukrainian people. They also stressed the importance of allied unity in assuring the security and defense of each and every inch of NATO territory. Secretary Wallander thanked Romania for hosting thousands of U.S. and Allied forces to bolster NATO's Eastern Flank and praised Romania’s leadership role in the Black Sea region. These forces serve as a potent deterrent against malign forces that threaten NATO's territorial integrity.
State Secretary Cojocaru thanked the United States for the sustained and continued support provided to the Romanian armed forces, which is of paramount importance to the national security architecture. Additionally, the Romanian official emphasized the nation's longstanding commitment to building an ever-stronger partnership for the future.
Assistant Secretary Wallander and State Secretary Cojocaru reviewed the 2020 Roadmap of Defense Cooperation, a 10-year document that aligns U.S. and Romanian strategic priorities, including strong bilateral cooperation, strengthening Black Sea security, and military readiness, among others. The leaders agreed that both nations have made significant progress toward the objectives outlined in the Roadmap and pledged to build upon those successes in the future.
The two leaders also marked the 30-year anniversary of Romania's State Partnership Program with the Alabama National Guard — a proud emblem of the robust and enduring bilateral defense relationship.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3526387/joint-statement-on-the-us-romanian-bilateral-defense-relationship/

The Press Office