US Congress delegation, on official visit to the Ministry of National Defence

On Monday, February 16, Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, received the visit of a United States Congress delegation, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

During the talks, the Romanian official presented the main conclusions of his participation in the Munich Security Conference and the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels, highlighting in particular Romania's security priorities and interests in the context of strengthening the deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank and maintaining support for Ukraine. 

The highlight of the meeting was the visit to the European F-16 Training Center, inaugurated in 2023 at the 86th Air Base in Fetești. This is an advanced training platform, unique at European level, which offers Romanian, Ukrainian and other Allied and partner pilots access to high-level training programs, aligned with NATO standards. 

During the discussions, the fundamental role that the military bases at Deveselu, Mihail Kogălniceanu and Câmpia Turzii play in the Alliance's deterrence and interoperability configuration was also emphasized, as essential pillars for power projection and strengthening security at regional level. 

At the same time, Romania's firm commitment to the progressive augmentation of the defence budget was reaffirmed, aiming at developing modern and interoperable capabilities, likely to strengthen the collective defence architecture. 

In this context, the Romanian side expressed its particular interest in capitalizing on the financing mechanisms offered by the United States Government for the purpose of modernizing the Armed Forces, as well as for advancing the objectives set out in the Roadmap on Defense Cooperation for 2020-2030. 

In conclusion, the Romanian official highlighted the constant support provided by the US Congress for the security of the Eastern Flank and for strengthening security in the Black Sea region. 

During the visit to Fetești, the delegation also visited the 86th Air Base, and the Minister of National Defence also had a meeting with the unit's personnel, with whom he discussed the challenges of the activity within this important capacity of the Romanian Air Force and NATO. The minister assured those present of the full support of the MoND leadership so that they can execute the missions in the best conditions. 

In the afternoon, at Cotroceni Palace, Minister Radu Miruță and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Țoiu, had a joint meeting with the delegation led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, that was also joined by the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan.

The Press Office