HM Margareta, Prince Radu visit CCDCOE, eu-LISA HQ, Romanian and Moldovan embassies to Estonia
AGERPRES special correspondent Dana Purgaru reports: Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu visited on Thursday, on the penultimate day of their trip to the Republic of Estonia, the headquarters of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) and the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA). The royal couple also visited the embassies of Romania and the Republic of Moldova in Tallinn.
At the CCDCOE headquarters in Tallinn, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu, accompanied by Romania's ambassador to Estonia Calin Stoica and Colonel Stefan-Antonio Dan-Suteu, vice-rector of the 'Carol I' National Defence University, were warmly welcomed by the centre's director, Mart Noorma, who gave a brief presentation of the institution, which includes representatives from 39 nations. During the meeting, Mart Noorma answered the Romanian guests' questions about the CCDCOE's activity, and a discussion was held on topics related to cyber defence and Romania's contribution to this NATO centre.
Also participating in the meeting was Dan Ungureanu, executive director of the Locked Shields 2025 exercise, the most complex cybersecurity and cyber defence exercise organised under NATO's aegis, which gathered nearly 4,000 civilian and military experts from 41 allied and partner states.
Locked Shields has been organised annually by CCDCOE since 2010, providing realistic training to test rapid response capabilities in real time against a wide spectrum of complex cyber threats reflecting current global challenges. This year, Romania participated for the fifth time in Locked Shields, held in the period May 5-9, 2025.
'If there is one thing to remember about CCDCOE, it is our purpose: we are here to help our nations deal with cyber threats as a coalition. So, it is all about cooperation between our nations against cyber threats,' said Mart Noorma.
At eu-LISA, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu were welcomed by Lorenzo Rinaldi, Head of Business and Stakeholders Unit; Philippe Harant, Head of Strategy and Capability Unit; Mare Haab, Communications Officer; and Romanian experts, including Adrian Bucureci, Head of Internal Audit Unit, and Flavius Popa, from the Beneficiaries and Government Relations sector. The royal couple also greeted virtually some Romanians working at the agency's offices in Strasbourg and Brussels.
Founded in 2011 and operational since 2012, eu-LISA, considered the 'digital heart of the Schengen area,' manages large-scale IT systems for implementing EU policies on asylum, border management, migration and justice. According to the agency, its mission is to keep Europe safe through technology, supporting EU member states and their digitisation efforts in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA).
During their Thursday tour in Tallinn, which welcomed them with sunny weather and unexpectedly mild temperatures for this time of year, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu also visited the Romanian Embassy, where Ambassador Calin Stoica introduced the embassy's diplomatic and administrative staff and workspaces, including the consular section.
The royal couple, along with Romania's ambassador to Estonia, also visited the Moldovan Embassy in Tallinn, where they were warmly greeted by Ambassador Eugen Caras, who expressed his delight and honour with the visit. 'Thank you very much for engaging in important diplomacy for our European path,' the ambassador said at the start of the meeting.
Eugen Caras highlighted the support and understanding his country enjoys in Estonia, especially in the 'complex situation' in this part of the world due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'Moldova is known here and supported, probably also because we share a common past,' said the ambassador, noting that 'Estonians know about us, they know their history and understand the hardships and tragedies we went through during the Soviet era - deportations, persecutions and more. Now they have a deep understanding of what we are going through, the difficulties we have had, and how much we want to join the European Union.'
'The fact that you, Your Majesty, are speaking here with Estonian interlocutors adds to what our ambassador is saying, to what I say, to what our officials say when they come here, or when Estonian officials visit Chisinau. Every speech, every mention, every drop of conviction is important,' said Ambassador Eugen Caras, highlighting Romania's support for Moldova.
From May 19 to 23, 2025, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu are paying a visit to the Republic of Estonia, specifically the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, to support cooperation between Romania and Estonia within the European Union and NATO, and to promote the European integration of the Republic of Moldova.
On Tuesday, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu visited the University of Tartu, the Military Academy and the Estonian National Museum. On Wednesday, the royal couple visited the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, and the e-Estonia Centre.
The Estonia trip continues the Romanian Royal Family's tour of countries on the EU and NATO eastern flank, following visits to Finland and Poland.
This is Her Majesty Margareta's first official visit to Estonia. His Royal Highness Prince Radu previously visited in September 2003 and December 2006. According to romaniaregala.ro, this is the Royal Family's third international visit in 2025, following Princess Sofia's visit to Poland (March) and the Custodian of the Crown and Prince Radu's visit to Moldova (April). AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Mariana Ionescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)
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