Romania, India sign treaty on defense cooperation for first time in history

Romanian and Indian representatives recently signed a bilateral agreement regarding defense cooperation. It is the first time in the history of bilateral relations between the two countries that a cooperation agreement in this area has been signed.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense cited by G4Media, the agreement provides a basis for the development and consolidation of bilateral relations through extended defense cooperation.

During her visit to India, Romania's secretary of state Simona Cojocaru led a session of political-military consultations with Giridhar Aramane, her counterpart at the Indian Ministry of Defense, to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea and Indo-Pacific regions, multilateral cooperation, and the prospects for bilateral cooperation in areas such as cyber defense, training and education, communications and information technology, military medicine, scientific research in defense policy and military history, as well as technical-military issues.

The visit to New Delhi "demonstrates the importance that Romania, a NATO and EU member state, places on the Indo-Pacific region and bilateral relations with India," said secretary Cojocaru.

She further stated that the two states aim to explore new ways of military cooperation through the signing of the agreement, with quantifiable results for their respective ministries.

During the discussions, secretary Cojocaru also highlighted the serious impact of Russia's aggression in Ukraine on Euro-Atlantic security, with major global effects. She described the measures that Romania has taken to limit the effects of this aggression, such as support for Ukrainian refugees and facilitating the export of Ukrainian grain to global markets.

The two officials also discussed cooperation perspectives within the United Nations and with the European Union. The Romanian official expressed appreciation for the pivotal role that India assumes in its efforts toward ensuring regional and global balance, as well as its major contribution to UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

An important moment of the visit was represented by the wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial, a monument that honors the ultimate sacrifice of Indian soldiers who have fallen in duty for their country.

(Photo source: Simona Cojocaru on Facebook)