Mihai Fifor - James Mattis: Bilateral talks at NATO meeting in Brussels

Romanian National Defense Minister Mihai Fifor has met today with US Defense Secretary James Mattis at the meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels.

The two officials addressed issues related to the security situation in the Black Sea region and the Allied priorities for the next NATO Summit. In this context, Minister Fifor pointed out that the recent security developments in this area reinforce the need to strengthen the Alliance's defense and deterrence posture on the entire eastern flank, a press release from the Romanian Ministry of Defense (MApN) states.

At the same time, Mihai Fifor reiterated Romania's efforts to fulfill its commitments, in particular by maintaining the two percent of GDP for the Defense in 2018 as well as in the following years, a significant part of the Defense budget being allocated for endowment with military equipment that are important for Romania’s security. In this respect, Minister Mihai Fifor informed about the application stage of the procurement plan and of the Romanian army’s endowment, stating that in 2018 a special attention will be paid to the improvement of the maritime capabilities.

Romania's constant and substantial participation in NATO operations is another dimension of its contribution to assuming the Allied security responsibilities, Romania being the fourth contributor with troops in Afghanistan.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis welcomed Romania's special efforts to meet the commitments made within the Alliance to strengthen collective defense, saying that Romania is a model for budget allocations and defense investments as well as for its constant support of allied operations. He stressed that Romanian troops in Afghanistan won the respect of all military allies, including of those in the US Army, for their courage and professionalism. James Mattis has appreciated that this is an example of Romania's determination to actively and substantially involve in the Alliance's ongoing efforts to address current security issues.

US Secretary of Defense ensured the Romanian Minister that the US maintains its commitment for Romania's defense, including by its presence at Deveselu and the Mihail Kogalniceanu base, as well as through the endowment programs.

James Mattis has expressed his willingness to pay a visit to Romania, the exact period will be determined later.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei