Bilateral meeting between Minister Angel Tîlvăr and his Belgian counterpart, Theo Francken

Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvăr, had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, Theo Francken, on Thursday, April 3, in Warsaw, as part of the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers.

The discussion agenda focused on topics related to the security situation at European, Euro-Atlantic and regional levels. 

The bilateral defence relation between Romania and Belgium as well as cooperation within allied framework, especially the strengthening of the defence and deterrence posture on NATO's eastern flank and in the Black Sea area, were key topics of the talks between the two officials.

In this context, the level and perspective of the collaborative relations between the two states were appreciated, with an emphasis on ensuring the persistence and continuity of allied projects and missions in Romania, the modernization and consolidation of the Romanian Armed Forces’ capabilities, increasing interoperability and training and, last but not least, providing support in various formats for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

Regarding the NATO agenda, the Romanian Minister of Defence conveyed his appreciation for the commitment and valuable contribution of Belgium, consisting in approximately 300 soldiers, to the NATO Battle Group Romania, with France as framework nation. Angel Tîlvăr emphasized the importance of cooperation in this format to ensure security in this region, but also the stability of the entire eastern flank of NATO. Moreover, he highlighted the need to coordinate efforts in the coming period, with a view to preparing the important decisions to be taken by the allied states’ leaders in The Hague, at the upcoming NATO summit, in June 2025, pointing out the importance of allied unity and solidarity, as well as the transatlantic relation.

The Romanian official also thanked Belgium for its interest in participating in the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM BS TG).

Minister Tîlvăr also showed the Romanian side's willingness to enhance military cooperation both bilaterally and within allied framework for the troops’ joint training and education.

Finally, the Romanian official wished his Belgian counterpart success in taking over his new responsibilities, this being the first meeting between the two high-ranking representatives since Theo Francken has taken over the defence portfolio.

The Press Office