Head of U.S. Air Force in Europe, visiting the Ministry of National Defense

The commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe (COM USAFE) and commander of allied air command (COM AIRCOM), General James B. Hecker, met on Thursday with the minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, and the chief of the Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, during the visit to Romania of the US official.

"The activity represented an excellent opportunity to discuss topics of common interest in the field of air forces in the allied context and to develop and strengthen cooperation relations within the Romania-U.S. strategic partnership," informs a release of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) sent on Thursday to AGERPRES.

The visit to Romania of General James B. Hecker included meetings with the Romanian command teams and military from the 90th AirLift Base Commander Aviator Gheorghe Banciulescu - Otopeni, the 57th Air Base Mihail Kogalniceanu, the 86th Air Base Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita - Borcea and the 71st Air Base General Emanoil Ionescu - Campia Turzii, as well as with a delegation of the General Staff of the Air Forces led by Lieutenant General Viorel Pana, head of the General Staff of the Air Forces, Agerpres informs.

"The activities carried out during the visit contributed to the development and consolidation of the military cooperation plans between the two structures, ensuring the high-level representation and promotion of Romania's interests in the field and was an opportunity to detail the possibilities of cooperation on the line of carrying out the Air Police (eAP) missions, the missions within the Reinforced Air Vigilance (eVA) activities, as well as exercises and evaluations," the source said.