U.S. European Command representatives met with senior officials from the Romanian Ministry of National Defense in Bucharest this week to discuss ongoing bilateral security cooperation efforts in Romania and the Black Sea region.
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Bryony Terrell, the EUCOM deputy director for plans, policy, strategy and capabilities and Brig. Gen. Mihail Iancu, the Romanian deputy head of the department for defense, policy, planning and international relations, co-chaired the U.S.-Romanian day-long committee discussions.
Topics included the legal framework for the joint committee and combined efforts to implement security initiatives, agreements and security cooperation efforts with a focus on the Black Sea region.
“As we work together with our important Romanian Ally, we recognize the need to deepen Black Sea security defense to counter regional threats,” said Terrell. “These recurring bilateral conversations are a cornerstone for building the framework of collective security initiatives to meet these needs and to build strong and strategic relationships.”
In addition to providing routine support to Romania through military training exercises and other activities, the U.S. and Romania have two agreements that support U.S. operations in Romania. These include the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 2005 and the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System Agreement signed in 2011 that provide critical deterrence and defense capabilities for NATO's eastern flank.
“Our partnership with the U.S. is key for the security in the Black Sea region and for Romanian defense modernization. We are fully committed to supporting U.S. troops in Romania as we endeavor to enhance our cooperation and interoperability,” said Iancu.
The U.S.-Romanian bilateral discussions reinforce current agreements, identify opportunities and address new or evolving strategic security challenges as part of developing an increasingly capable collective defense.
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About USEUCOM
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. USEUCOM is comprised of more than 65,000 permanent military personnel supported by rotational forces and DoD civilians working closely with NATO Allies and partners. The command is one of two U.S. forward-deployed geographic combatant commands headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. For more information about USEUCOM, visit www.eucom.mil.
