King of Belgium, Philippe to be welcomed by President Iohannis at Mihail Kogalniceanu military air base

President Klaus Iohannis is going to welcome the King of Belgium, Philippe, on Friday at the 57th Air Base Mihail Kogalniceanu, southeastern County of Constanta, a release from the Presidential Administration informs.

"In addition to the official talks, the two high officials will meet with the Romanian, Belgian and other allied military, deployed on the Romanian territory as part of the Allied effort to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank, given the worsening of the security situation due to the Russian illegal aggression against Ukraine. The visit of His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, takes place against the background of a strong bilateral dialogue at a high level and of the close Romanian-Belgian cooperation in the field of defense, especially in the context of the participation of the Kingdom of Belgium with a contingent in the NATO Battle Group in Romania," the Presidential Administration's release says.

The President of Romania and the King of Belgium will discuss the priority themes of the bilateral agenda and the ways to deepen the cooperation at European and international level. Particular attention will be paid to the crisis in Ukraine and its multidimensional impact, the source reads.

"In the context of the humanitarian crisis caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, there will also be discussions about the assistance measures for Ukraine and the support of the Ukrainian refugees, including through the humanitarian hub in northeastern Suceava. The two high officials will also address the strengthening of support for the Republic of Moldova, given that it faces multiple challenges generated by the effects of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, including hosting a very large number of refugees," the Presidential Administration also informs in the above-mentioned release.