Jorge Domecq, the EDA Chief Executive, made a two-days working visit (2-3 September) to Romania where he had talks with the Minister of Defence, Mr. Mihai-Viorel Fifor, the State-Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Mr Mircea Dusa, the State Secretary for Armaments, Mr Andrei Ignat, the State Secretary responsible for the defence industry, Mr Ion Radu, the State Secretary responsible for European Affairs, Mr Calin Bodea, as well as the General Director and Policy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Stefan Tinca. He also had a meeting with the Executive Manager of Romania’s National Defence Industry Association (NDIA), Mr. Viorel Manole.
The main topics raised during these talks included the implementation of the various new EU defence initiatives (PESCO, CARD, EDF), the recently revised EU Capability Development Priorities, Romania’s current and potential future contributions to EDA projects and programmes, the implications of the Agency’s recent Long Term Review (LTR) as well as the EU-NATO relations. “It’s crucial to ensure the various EU defence initiatives are implemented in a coherent and coordinated manner, based on jointly agreed capability development priorities and in full transparency and complementarity with NATO”, Mr Domecq stressed.
The defence-related priorities and events of the upcoming Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU (first half of 2019) were also discussed. In June 2019, Romania will host the 4th and last conference of the second phase of the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector – Phase II (CF SEDSS II) in Bucharest. Furthermore, the EDA intends to organize a defence R&T conference in Bucharest in March 2019. “I very much appreciate Romania’s strong support of the EDA and look forward to working closely with Romania as it prepares to take over the Presidency of the EU Council”, Mr Domecq stated.