July 12, 2017 UPDATE

Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu held talks with a delegation of the U.S. Atlantic Council

Newsroom, 12.07.2017, 19:58

U.S. ATLANTIC COUNCIL — Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu has held talks with a delegation of the U.S. Atlantic Council on Romania’s role as an essential ally of the United States and about the vital importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the U.S. delegation was led by the executive vice-president of the Atlantic Council, Damon Vilson, who was accompanied by former U.S. ambassadors to Central and Eastern Europe. The two sides also exchanged opinions on the situation in the extended Black Sea region, underlining the current multiple challenges to security, the communiqué also writes.

PATRIOT MISSILES – The US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, on Wednesday congratulated Romanian authorities, in the context of the announcement made by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, on the purchase by Bucharest of seven Patriot missile systems. The statement was made during a meeting with the Romanian Dfense Minister Adrian Tutuianu. The latter said that this programme will strengthen Romania’s defense capability, NATO’s eastern flank, and will develop and consolidate the strategic partnership between Romania and the US. The US State Department agreed to the sale of Patriot missiles to Romania, a deal worth 3.9 billion dollars, according to a statement from the Pentagon, quoted by Reuters. If the deal goes through, dozens of government representatives and contractors would come to Romania to install equipment, check systems, and provide training and logistical and technical support.

MEETING – Romanian PM Mihai Tudose on Wednesday met with Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu, Economy Minister Mihai Fifor and head of the Romanian Army General Staff, general Nicolae Ciuca. The meeting focused on the equipping of the Romanian Army, as Bucharest has earmarked 2% of the GDP for this purpose. The officials analysed the needs of the Romanian army by also taking into account the capability of the Romanian defense industry.

JERUSALEM –The Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea is on an official visit to Israel, upon an invitation extended by the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli-Yoel Edelstein. According to Radio Romania correspondent, consultations are being held as part of the Knesset meeting on developing cooperation between the two states at a parliamentary level. Liviu Dragneas visit also includes a tour of the Yad Vashem museum.

MILITARY — The Romanian Navy takes part these days in the Saber Guardian 17 multinational exercise, participating with 745 sailors, 10 warships, 12 support ships, and 18 vehicles. The exercise ends on July 22nd, and is the biggest exercise in Romanias modern history, held in three countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. 21 national integrated and connected drills are scheduled, bringing together around 25,000 troops from 22 states. Saber Guardian 17, planned by the US European Command, is meant to showcase the deterrence and reaction capacity of allied forces in a collective defense scenario, using power projection, according to a press release from the Defense Ministry in Bucharest.

TENNIS –Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu, who paired up in the doubles with Taiwanese Chan Hao-Ching on Wednesday defeated the US-Czech pair CiCi Bellis- Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 6-4 and qualified to the semi-finals in Wibledon. We remind you that Romanias best tennis player, Simona Halep, number two in the world, failed to qualify to the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday. In the quarter finals, she was defeated by British player Johanna Konta, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Had she won, Halep would have moved to first place in the WTA standings, after having defeated in the eighth finals current number one, German player Angelique Kerber.

(Translated by Elena Enache)