Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta today at the Pentagon to discuss NATO and coalition operations, according to a senior defense official.
Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby summarized the meeting, reporting that Hagel thanked Ponta for the Romanian government's offer to commit more troops to the mission in Afghanistan, as well as Romania's continued strong support in other NATO and coalition activities.
Kirby noted that Hagel and Ponta met briefly last June when the secretary travelled to Constanta, Romania, to thank U.S. and coalition troops at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.
“In his concluding remarks, Minister Ponta thanked Secretary Hagel for his attention to Black Sea security issues and his stewardship of the Department of Defense during a period of unrest for NATO allies,” Kirby said.
Â