Defence Minister’s meeting with his French counterpart, in Brussels

On Thursday, February 12th, Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, had a meeting with the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs of the French Republic, Catherine Vautrin, as part of the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, in Brussels.

The talks focused on current developments in the security environment, in particular the regional consequences of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine and their impact on the Allied Eastern Flank. The two officials highlighted the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security and the need to maintain a coordinated and coherent approach at Allied level.

Most part of the dialogue was dedicated to bilateral defence cooperation. The significant contribution of France to the consolidation of the deterrence and defence posture on Romanian territory was appreciated, especially through the role of the framework nation of the NATO Battle Group Romania, in Cincu. The Romanian minister emphasized the very good level of cooperation within this battle group and the importance of the presence of the French soldiers, as a concrete expression of the Alliance’s solidarity and unity.

At the same time, the officials discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in the field of the defence industry, by identifying joint projects aimed at establishing production in Romania and consolidating military-technical partnerships. In this context, the convergence of Romania's and France's objectives regarding strengthening the defence industrial and technological base at European level was also highlighted.

The meeting's agenda also included the coordination of the two states' positions within NATO and the European Union, as well as the main lines of action in view of the NATO Summit in Ankara. The importance of implementing the commitments undertaken at the previous NATO Summit, including in terms of increasing defence investments, as well as the need to continue joint efforts to strengthen stability and security in the Black Sea region, were also reiterated.

The Romanian official emphasized the importance of the Strategic Partnership with France, showing that the enhancement of bilateral defence cooperation has a direct impact on the forces’ interoperability, the consolidation of military capabilities and the increase of readiness level on NATO's Eastern Flank.

The Press Office