Defense Minister Ciuca, Ukrainian counterpart sign intergovernmental agreement for military & technical cooperation

Minister of National Defense Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca and his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Taran had a meeting today in Bucharest to sign an intergovernmental agreement on technical and military cooperation; the two officials also discussed recent developments in the regional security and the stage and perspectives of the Romanian-Ukrainian defense cooperation.

"The agreement will help strengthen bilateral cooperation by creating the necessary legal framework for institutions and companies in the two countries to develop joint projects in areas such as the procurement, repair and modernization of armament and military equipment, military and technology research and development, the exchange of information and experience in the standardization, codification and quality control of military hardware," the Ministry of National Defense said in a release on Saturday.

DefMin Ciuca assured the Ukrainian side of Romania's support for beefing up cooperation within the NATO - Ukraine Partnership and in the line of military education.

The two top Defense officials decided to continue the political and military dialogue and to identify new joint projects, with a view to strengthening defense cooperation, both bilaterally as well as in regional formats and within international organizations, the release states.

"Regarding the joint training process, the two officials reviewed the conclusions of the Sea Breeze 20 exercise held in July, and discussed the 'Blonde Avalanche' exercise that will take place September 6 through 11 at the training facilities of the 'Lower Danube' 10th Engineer Brigade. Minister Ciuca also responded to the invitation of his Ukrainian counterpart for Romanian troops to participate in the military drills that are scheduled this fall in the neighboring country," the cited release states.