Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan met on Thursday at Victoria Palace with Allison Hooker, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; the discussion focused on security developments in the region and the strategic cooperation between Romania and the United States.

According to a government statement, the head of the executive highlighted the importance of the Strategic Partnership with the United States for Romania's security and development.

'The constant support of the US has played an essential role in Romania's history—from our accession to NATO to the consolidation of our country's position within the Euro-Atlantic community—contributing to Romania's security and the strengthening of our defense capabilities. We are grateful for the presence of US troops and those of other allies on Romanian soil, as they directly contribute to ensuring the security of NATO's Eastern Flank,' stated Ilie Bolojan, as quoted in the press release.

During the meeting, Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker commended Romania's contribution to regional security.

'We thank you for the constant support Romania provides to the U.S. in the effort to maintain regional security and for the support given to Ukraine. We appreciate the important role you play in the region and look forward to continuing this close cooperation,' the U.S. official stated, according to the press release.

At the same time, Prime Minister Bolojan and Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker welcomed the positive outcomes of the recent NATO Summit in Ankara, where Allied leaders highlighted the importance of the transatlantic partnership and of European partners assuming an enhanced role in bolstering Euro-Atlantic security and strengthening defense industry capabilities, alongside maintaining support for Ukraine.

'Bilateral economic relations and opportunities for investment collaboration by American companies in sectors such as the defense industry, nuclear energy and energy connectivity (the Vertical Corridor), critical raw materials extraction, and transport infrastructure—with a focus on the development of the Port of Constan?a—were also discussed during the meeting at Victoria Palace,' the cited source states.

Romania's accession to the OECD was also on the agenda of the meeting between the two officials.

Prime Minister Bolojan presented the progress made by Romania and emphasized that U.S. support is important for the completion of this process, which will lead to attracting investments and enhancing our country's international credibility.

At the meeting at Victoria Palace, the Government was represented by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, alongside the Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, Mihai Jurca, and State Counsellor within the Chancellery Luminita Odobescu. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Florea; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)