U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, met with her Romanian counterpart, Romanian State Secretary for Defense Simona Cojocaru, at the Pentagon today to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues during the annual High-Level Defense Group.
The two leaders condemned Putin's brutal war of choice in Ukraine and affirmed their unyielding support for the Ukrainian people. They also stressed the importance of allied unity in assuring the security and defense of each and every inch of NATO territory. Secretary Wallander thanked Romania for hosting thousands of U.S. and Allied forces to bolster NATO's Eastern Flank and praised Romania’s leadership role in the Black Sea region. These forces serve as a potent deterrent against malign forces that threaten NATO's territorial integrity.
State Secretary Cojocaru thanked the United States for the sustained and continued support provided to the Romanian armed forces, which is of paramount importance to the national security architecture. Additionally, the Romanian official emphasized the nation's longstanding commitment to building an ever-stronger partnership for the future.
Assistant Secretary Wallander and State Secretary Cojocaru reviewed the 2020 Roadmap of Defense Cooperation, a 10-year document that aligns U.S. and Romanian strategic priorities, including strong bilateral cooperation, strengthening Black Sea security, and military readiness, among others. The leaders agreed that both nations have made significant progress toward the objectives outlined in the Roadmap and pledged to build upon those successes in the future.
The two leaders also marked the 30-year anniversary of Romania's State Partnership Program with the Alabama National Guard — a proud emblem of the robust and enduring bilateral defense relationship.