Romanian president and prime minister meet with NATO head in Europe to discuss Black Sea region
President Nicușor Dan and prime minister Ilie Bolojan met with Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of the United States European Command, general Alexus G. Grynkewich, during his visit to Romania on Monday, January 19, to talk about defense on NATO's eastern border.
General Grynkewich saw president Dan to discuss the security challenges in the Black Sea region, determined by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The two talked about the incursions made by Russian drones in Romanian airspace and underlined the common commitment of Romania and the United States of America to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries in defense.
“The president appreciated the launch of NATO’s Eastern Sentry Operation, which will strengthen the deterrence and defense posture of the North Atlantic Alliance along the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea,” the Presidential Administration said in an official statement.
Nicușor Dan ensured the general that Romania will honor its commitments, both operationally, through participation in Allied missions and operations, and in terms of allocations for the Defense budget, in accordance with the target assumed at the NATO Summit in The Hague in 2025.
Grynkewich, in turn, “emphasized that NATO pays continuous attention to regional security developments and undertakes the necessary measures to deter any hostile actions and to improve the collective defense of the entire territory of the North Atlantic Alliance,” the same source added.
After that, general Grynkewich met with prime minister Ilie Bolojan at the government headquarters, the Victoria Palace. They discussed strengthening Romania’s defense on the Eastern Flank and modernizing national security capabilities in the context of tensions in the Black Sea region.
Ilie Bolojan also thanked general Alexus G. Grynkewich for the support granted to Romania’s defense through enhanced vigilance activities and NATO initiatives. Moreover, the head of the executive presented the measures taken to strengthen national defense capacity, including increasing budgetary resources in line with the commitments assumed at the NATO Summit in The Hague, as well as the use of the SAFE Program, worth EUR 16.68 billion.
During the discussions, the security situation in Ukraine and the stage of negotiations regarding the peace process were also addressed.
Interior minister Cătălin Predoiu, defense minister Radu Miruță, and the chief of the defense staff, general Gheorghiță Vlad, also participated in the meeting, with US Chargé d’Affaires in Romania Michael L. Dickerson in attendance.
Last week, general Gheorghiță Vlad expressed concerns that Romania’s Neptun Deep project may not be covered by NATO security guarantees.
(Photo source: Nicusor Dan, Guvernul Romaniei on Facebook)
