At a recent meeting of the North Atlantic Council, Romania highlighted the need to urgently strengthen the NATO capabilities deployed on the national soil, especially in the areas of air defence and drone combat, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

The North Atlantic Council held a meeting on Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Black Sea security in the context of the recent drone incidents that affected Romania.

The meeting provided an opportunity for a NATO assessment of the threats posed by Russia's actions in the region, including those that directly affect Romania's security.

In his speech to the meeting, the Romanian ambassador to NATO, Dan Neculaescu, highlighted the consequences of the Russian attacks on Ukraine, especially the repeated incidents with drones and the risks they generate for the national airspace, the safety of Romanian citizens, the safety of navigation, as well as for the critical infrastructure in the area.

Romania said that the recent drone incidents confirm 'the persistent and increasingly complex nature of threats to regional security.'

The Allies reconfirmed their full solidarity with Romania. Discussions focused on the measures underway at NATO level to strengthen the deterrence and defence posture on the eastern flank, including the activities aimed at countering the threats posed by drones, as well as the concrete ways in which NATO support for Romania can be further strengthened.

Wednesday's meeting,creates the premises for the accelerated advancement, in view of the NATO Summit in Ankara (July 7 and 8), of additional allied measures on air defence and countering drones on the eastern flank. The meeting reconfirmed the strategic importance of the Black Sea for Euro-Atlantic security, according to MAE.

NATO continuously monitors the security situation in the Black Sea region and constantly assesses the measures necessary to protect NATO territory. The meeting that dealt with this subject at the level of the North Atlantic Council took place at the initiative of Romania and is part of the country's sustained efforts, through its delegation to NATO, to keep Black Sea security on NATO's agenda. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)