French president Emmanuel Macron expected in Romania today

French president Emmanuel Macron is to travel to Romania today, June 14, before heading for the Republic of Moldova on June 15.

In Romania, he will meet with the French military stationed at the NATO base in Mihail Kogălniceanu, close to Constanţa, on Romania's Black Sea Coast.

Macron, who will travel alongside foreign affairs minister Catherine Colonna and defense minister Sébastien Lecornu, will salute the 500 French military stationed at the base.

Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă will welcome the French president at the base on June 14. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will join on the morning of Wednesday, June 15.

The two presidents are expected to discuss ways to further consolidate the strategic partnership between Romania and France, Romania’s Schengen accession, the security situation in the region, and the effects of the war in Ukraine, the Romanian Presidency said. The two heads of state will also discuss ways to further support the Republic of Moldova as it faces numerous challenges following the war in Ukraine.

This March, French forces were deployed to Romania as part of the NATO Response Force's (NRF) efforts in the eastern flank of the Alliance. France also deployed a surface-to-air- missile system as part of the NATO battle group it heads here.

France leads this year's highest-readiness element of the NRF, a multinational force that NATO can deploy at short notice as needed.

On June 15, Macron will meet with Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova, in Chişinău.

(Photo: Gints Ivuskans | Dreamstime.com)