President Nicusor Dan said on Saturday in Istanbul, where he joined Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the flag-granting ceremony for the HISAR-class corvette Contraamiral August Roman, that the ship will strengthen Romania's contribution to regional security and to the country's commitments within the North Atlantic Alliance.

'The commissioning of the corvette Contraamiral August Roman marks an important moment in the evolution and modernization of the Romanian naval forces. This vessel will reinforce Romania's contribution to regional security and to fulfilling the commitments Romania has undertaken within the North Atlantic Alliance. Mr. President, the partnership between Turkey and Romania is a solid one. We are living through tense moments internationally, when security becomes extremely important. And I want to thank you for our solid security partnership - and I would mention here the joint operations carried out together with Turkey and Bulgaria in the Black Sea as regards mine countermeasures. I thank you for Turkey's participation in the air-policing mission in Romania, and for our close cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance,' President Dan said during the ceremony held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.



The head of the state added that the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara will be 'an important moment' for the Alliance.

'We all want this, and I wish you success in organizing the NATO Summit in Ankara. It will be an important moment for the Alliance. We must move forward with the commitments we all made in The Hague, and it is not only about the financial component - it is about turning that additional funding into equipment. And here I believe the relationship and the contacts we already have in the defence-industry field are important. There are significant opportunities for joint military production between Turkey and Romania, and I hope that our future interaction and your expected visit to Romania will help materialize these opportunities,' the Romanian president underscored.

The event took place in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and delegations of officials from both countries. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mihai Stoica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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