Financiarul

State Secretary for Strategic Affairs Bogdan Aurescu met with the deputy Civilian Operations Commander of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union Matthew Reece, on Wednesday, Oct 14, when the latter praised Romania’s contribution to the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) missions, the Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MAE) has announced.

‘A balance must be reached between the substantial contribution Romania makes to the ESDP missions and operations, ranking the third among the 27 EU countries, in terms of the staff it involves, and the level of Romania’s representation in the EU leading and planning structures in this field,’ Aurescu stressed.

During the talks, it was approached aspects of Romania’s participation in the ESDP civilian missions, putting a special emphasis on the EU Monitoring Missions in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) to which Romania contributes 20 monitors, and in the EULEX Kosovo. The draft national concept on the civilian capacities lodged to the country’s Supreme Defence Council for approval, was also presented among Romania’s preoccupations in the field.

The Romanian experts participating in the ESDP missions come from the diplomatic, military, police, gendarmerie, justice as well as the non-governmental environments.

At present MAE has promoted some of these exerts to more visible posts in the relevant EU structures, as well as in the operation theaters of the ESDP missions, which Romania has been participating in.

The EU official’s agenda in Bucharest will also schedule meetings with officials of the Romanian Defence Ministry, the Ministry of Justice and Citizens Liberties, and that of the Administration and Interior.

The most important among the Romanian experts’ ESDP missions is that in the Balkans and the Black Sea Expanded Zone, but Romania neither neglects its participation in the missions to the more distant regions such as EUPOL Afghanistan and EUNAVFOR ATALANTA, seeking for earning an as more far-reaching expertise, as quick as possible, in a field playing a key role in the EU development.