European joint acquisitions are an opportunity for Romania’s defense industry, interim president says

The EU joint acquisitions in the defense sector are an opportunity for the national defense industry, said Romania's interim president, Ilie Bolojan, at the end of the European Council meeting he attended on Thursday, March 20.

The official said that discussions at the meeting were focused on accelerating measures for European defense preparedness so that significant consolidation can take place within five years. According to Bolojan, the new strategy will present an opportunity for the Romanian defense industry.

Bolojan added that an analysis of funding opportunities will be conducted in the near future.

"In the coming period, both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy, private defense companies, as well as other companies from the automotive sector that can transition to defense production, will have an opportunity. They must work to assess funding opportunities to integrate into European defense conglomerates for production, enabling joint acquisitions and access to the financial resources provided by the European Union under the decisions made at the last Council meeting," the interim president explained.

When asked about Romania's military procurement programs from the United States and whether the F-35 program for the Romanian Army would continue or be reassessed, Ilie Bolojan reaffirmed that NATO remains "the foundation of collective defense."

Romania approved the acquisition of 32 F35s last year in the most expensive acquisition in the history of the Romanian Army. Several European nations were planning for similar purchases, but are currently reconsidering their options in light of a distancing between the US and its European allies.

"As I have said, NATO continues to be the foundation of collective defense, and NATO cannot uphold this foundation without the United States. Therefore, I believe all military arrangements Romania has made with the United States and U.S. companies must be honored, and budgets have been allocated for this purpose. There is continuity in all NATO programs in Romania, and there are no issues in this regard,” Bolojan said, cited in the official press release.

The interim president also stated that the EU backed Ukraine with EUR 20 billion in 2024.

“The agreement is to continue supporting Ukraine financially and militarily to ensure the front line does not collapse. The goal is to maintain stability until a ceasefire is reached, which we hope will happen as soon as possible. The Council welcomed the joint statement issued by the United States and Ukraine following their recent meeting,” he noted.