Britain will continue to increase its military presence and support Romania as an allied state, the new British ambassador to Bucharest, Giles Portman, said at a press conference in Bucharest on Tuesday.
At his first press conference, the new ambassador named his priorities: defence and security, trade and the fight against organised crime. He also added that Royal Air Force Typhoons will return to Romania this year to carry out an air policing mission. Portman said:
“Firstly, defence and security, as NATO allies. We will continue to increase UK support for Romania on the ground.”
The diplomat said the UK would provide “as much support as possible to Romania, especially in strengthening security defences in the Black Sea region” which includes troop deployments, training and joint exercises. He added:
“We have numerous plans aimed at expanding the scale of these training programmes in the current year.”
Emphasising the importance of the Black Sea security for London, the British diplomat noted that the UK has provided the Romanian Navy with two Sandown-class minesweepers. The diplomat said, referring to the recent agreement among the three countries regarding demining in the Black Sea:
“Romania, together with Turkey and Bulgaria, plays a crucial role in demining the Black Sea region. This collaborative effort aims to facilitate the safe transit of grain ships, ensuring that essential food reaches people worldwide.”
Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the continuing deterioration of the security and stability situation in Eastern Europe in Brussels on Monday.
The Romanian diplomat said the alliance needs to continue to monitor the security situation in the region and accelerate efforts to fully implement the Madrid and Vilnius decisions on effective and enhanced forward defence. Odobescu also said that support to Ukraine, as well as to vulnerable partners in the region, especially the Republic of Moldova, should continue.
