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The British Minister of State for the Armed Forces paid a visit to the MoND
State Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gheorghițã Vlad, had a meeting with the British Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Leo Docherty, at the Ministry of National Defence headquarters.
The meeting agenda included topics referring to the military cooperation relations, ensuring Euro-Atlantic security, as well as the allied defensive elements that would be at the core of the future decisions made at the July NATO Summit in Washington.
On this occasion, the state secretary reiterated the importance of the Strategic Partnership with Great Britain, expressing her appreciation for London's contribution to the multinational structures deployed to our country and for participating in the enhanced Air Policing Missions in Romania, in order to strengthen the deterrence and defence posture on the allied eastern flank. Also, during the talks, the officials emphasized that the marking of 75 years since the establishment of NATO took place in the context of an unpredictable security environment, which continued to define the strategic agenda and to impact on both the Euro-Atlantic security and the Alliance’s unity, interests and values.
"These complex developments of the security environment call for allied unity and determination to demonstrate NATO's credibility and ability to deter and defend against simultaneous threats and challenges," Simona Cojocaru stated.
Regarding the security in the Black Sea region, the state secretary specified that, in the context of the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine, this area remained of strategic importance for the entire European and Euro-Atlantic security. Moreover, she emphasized the importance of the continued support provided to Ukraine and other partners in the region, especially to the Republic of Moldova.
The Chief of Defence Staff highlighted the good collaboration between the Romanian and British armed forces, especially with respect to the implementation of the allied measures meant to strengthen the deterrence and defence posture. “The sustained support and cooperation provided by the Kingdom's troops have significantly contributed to managing the security challenges in the Black Sea region. I am confident that bilateral military relations will continue to develop, while the joint training opportunities, regardless of whether we are talking about peace support missions or multinational exercises, will help us strengthen our national and allied defence capability, ", General Vlad Gheorghita mentioned.
The Press Office