DefMin meets AIRCOM, US Forces in Europe and Africa Commander
Defence Minister Angel Tilvar met on Monday with the Commander of Allied Air Command (COM AIRCOM) and Commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, General James B. Hecker, during which they continued the Romanian-US bilateral dialogue on topics of interest in the area of air forces, including from the perspective of air capability requirements necessary to strengthen NATO's defence and deterrence posture in the context of the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine.
According to a press release, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the Air Show in Le Bourget, France.
"The Romania-US Strategic Partnership is one of the main pillars of the national security and defence policy, together with the NATO and EU membership. Romania is today a reliable ally and partner in the relation with the United States of America, we are a country that demonstrates ambition, political will and the ability to contribute to the implementation of measures to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance, including by firmly assuming the role of security provider in the Black Sea region," Angel Tilvar is quoted as saying in the press release.
Minister Tilvar expressed appreciation for the US contribution to ensuring defence and deterrence on the entire eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, in particular by deploying forces and capabilities in Romania, as well as for the support provided by the US in the process of acquiring F16 aircraft from the Norwegian army inventory, highlighting the importance of continuing the training process for Romanian pilots on this type of aircraft, starting this year.
At the same time, the Minister of Defence appreciated the "consistent" cooperation of the Romanian Air Force with allied structures, but also from a bilateral perspective, highlighting the substantial and diversified contribution of the US to ensuring the security of the airspace on NATO's eastern flank and in the western area of the Black Sea basin.
In context, the Romanian official highlighted the importance of maintaining allied support for air policing missions in the Black Sea region, including the participation of the United States, missions that have proven their effectiveness in the overall defence and deterrence measures on the Eastern flank.
He also reiterated Romania's commitment to continue developing the specific infrastructure and providing support, as host nation, to facilitate the training and execution of air missions jointly with the US partner, as well as with the other NATO member states.
"During the meeting, the two officials also discussed relevant matters regarding the decisions expected to be adopted at the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, as well as the extent of joint exercises carried out within the framework of the Romania-US strategic partnership or in an allied framework, an essential element of increasing the interoperability of the Romanian Armed Forces with allied structures," the source said.
(Photo:https://armed.mapn.ro/3999_vizita-oficiala-in-fran%C8%9Ba-a-ministrului-apararii-na%C8%9Bionale)