A delegation of the US House of Representatives, led by Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, visited the Borcea Air Base on Sunday, accompanied by National Defence Minister Radu Miruta, where Romania reiterated its commitment 'to remain a fully engaged ally in efforts to strengthen collective defence'.
According to a press release from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN), Defence Minister Radu Miruta, accompanied by Secretary of State for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations Sorin Dan Moldovan, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant General Dragos Iacob and Chief of the Air Force Staff Lieutenant General Leonard Baraboi, presented the US delegation with the 86th Air Base Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita in Borcea.
'The visit provided an opportunity to present the activities carried out at the base, with a focus on the training of Romanian and Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 aircraft, as well as the contribution of the infrastructure and capabilities developed here to strengthening Romania's air defence and NATO's Eastern Flank. In talks with the US delegation, Defence Minister Radu Miruta reiterated Romania's commitment to remain a fully engaged ally in efforts to strengthen collective defence, in close coordination with the United States,' the release said.
Minister Radu Miruta stressed that 'Romania's security is built through complementary action - on the one hand, through our active involvement at European level, and on the other, through our relationship with the United States in the field of defence'.
'The two directions are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing, and the US presence remains an essential component of the allied deterrence and defence posture,' the minister said, according to the release.
According to the MApN release, the US delegation 'appreciated Romania's efforts and sustained commitment in the current security context, including the support provided to US forces and our country's contribution to supporting Ukraine'.
The National Defence Minister was part of the delegation led by Romanian President Nicusor Dan, which met on Sunday at the 57th Air Base Mihail Kogalniceanu with a US House of Representatives delegation led by Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
The talks focused on the regional security situation, defence cooperation and ways to expand it, investment in and modernisation of military capabilities, and progress made following the Ankara Summit.
Romanian and US officials also held talks with US troops deployed at Kogalniceanu and visited infrastructure currently under development, highlighting the base's role as an important strategic hub for the United States and NATO in the Black Sea region. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: George Onea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)
