Bucharest Meeting of Austrian and Romanian Defense Ministers

Romania’s takeover of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a guarantee that there will be continuity of defense projects, a guarantee for strengthening the European defense and security policy, Austrian Minister of Defense Mario Kunasek said on Monday, while on official visit to Bucharest.

Mario Kunasek met Romanian Minister of Defense, Gabriel Leş, at the headquarters of the Romanian Ministry of Defense. Two topics dominated talks between the two ministers: European defense initiative, where Austria and Romania have two joint projects, and stability of the Western Balkans. One of the priorities for the Presidency of the Council is to ensure the external borders of the European Union, Austrian Defense Minister said.

In turn, Minister Gabriel Leş said that the European Union peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina should continue:

Gabriel Leş: "Challenges are still complex in this area, and we believe that EU's operational commitment in the region must be maintained, while providing support for increasing resilience, strengthening defense capabilities and national security of Western Balkan states. I have also reminded that Romania welcomes the new UN Security Council Resolution on EUFOR Althea, thus appreciating that the EU's operational actions in the region should not be diminished until the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina is stable and irreversible".

European defense cannot evolve without a solid and functional transatlantic link, Europe's profile as a global actor is closely related to it, Defense Minister Gabriel Leş also said.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei