Romanian Minister of Defense at Bucharest Forum 2018

Romanian National Defense Minister Mihai Fifor attended, on Wednesday, the Bucharest Forum 2018, organized at the Palace of the National Military Circle, in a panel moderated by political-military analyst Radu Tudor and focused on Romania's diplomatic and military approaches in the context of the main challenges to security and stability in the Black Sea region.

In the current context of regional security, Romania plays an important role, alongside Poland, as the main pillars of stability on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Fifor stressed.

Romania attaches a particular priority to the implementation of allied decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in July, with important implications for the security of its region and of the Alliance as a whole. In this context, Minister Mihai Fifor highlighted the progress made in implementing the advanced presence in the Black Sea region and the hosting by Romania of a new NATO command, as agreed by allies in Brussels, according to a press release from Romanian Ministry of Defense (MApN).

Within the Forum, an important point of discussions was the issue of taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union by Romania in January 2019. Minister of National Defense underlined that during the EU Council Presidency, Romania will pay special attention to strengthening transatlantic relations, by developing the European defense policy in full complementarity with NATO.

“There is a need for practical cooperation between EU and NATO. We cannot talk about European security and, implicitly, about the stability of the Black Sea region without strengthening the transatlantic relationship or without a strong strategic partnership with the US. It is important both for Europe and for the US", concluded Mihai Fifor.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Viorel Meleșcanu and Chief of Defense Staff, General Nicolae Ionel Ciucă also attended the event.

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Bucharest Forum 2018 - organized by the Aspen Institute of Romania and the Bucharest office of the German Marshall Fund of the US, with the support of the Romanian Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, National Military Club, Ministry of Business, Trade and Entrepreneurship, and National Bank of Romania – gathers international experts in the field of security and defense, government officials, diplomats, as well as representatives of the private sector.

Source:RRA,MApN.Translated by Miruna Matei