Acting Defence Minister’s meeting with the Belgian Defence Minister, in Sibiu

Acting Defence Minister's meeting with the Belgian Defence Minister, in Sibiu

On Tuesday, December 16^th, the Acting Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruță, had an official meeting, at the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy in Sibiu, with his counterpart from the Kingdom of Belgium, Theo Francken, who is visiting Romania.

During the talks attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad, and the Chief of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, General Frederik Vansina, the officials addressed topics of common interest in the field of defence and security.

During the meeting, the dignitaries highlighted Belgium's constant commitment, as a contributing state to the NATO Battle Group Romania, to strengthening the security of the Eastern Flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and, implicitly, the regional stability. Minister Radu Miruță expressed the Romanian party's appreciation of the professionalism and determination of the Belgian soldiers deployed to Romania and thanked them for their participation in DACIAN FALL 25 Multinational Exercise, which ended in October, which represented the final stage of the transition of the NATO Battle Group Romania to full brigade-level formation.

"The Romanian-Belgian bilateral defence relations have reached a significant level and represent a model of unity and cohesion between the two allies who share common values, an example of concrete commitment on the Eastern Flank. Joint exercises and constant dialogue strengthen regional security and contribute to the stability of the Black Sea area", Minister Miruță stated.

The consultations between the two ministers focused on topics related to the current security situation in the Black Sea region, and the importance of continued support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, including from their perspective as candidate states for membership of the European Union.

Another topic of discussion was the bilateral defence relations, as well as the cooperation agendas both within Allied framework and within the European Union. At the same time, the officials highlighted the joint commitment to enhance cooperation in areas such as maritime security or the defence industry.

General Gheorghiță Vlad, Chief of Defence Staff, emphasized that the multinational exercises conducted jointly, including DACIAN SPRING 25, demonstrated Belgium's ability to quickly adapt its operational contribution, by increasing its military presence in Romania up to full battalion-size formation, thus strengthening the allied deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern Flank.

In conclusion, both parties agreed on the importance of maintaining a constant bilateral dialogue, driven by the dynamics of security developments in the region and by the operational contribution of the Kingdom of Belgium to the implementation of deterrence and defence measures on Romanian territory.

The activity in Sibiu represented the second visit of the Belgian Minister of Defence to Romania in 2025.

The Press Office