The Romanian Navy's training ship Mircea will dock in the Port of Lisbon on Friday and will be open to the public on Sunday and Monday as part of its five-month international training voyage, the Romanian Embassy in Lisbon said on Thursday.

'For Romania, the presence of Mircea in Portugal is more than a celebration - it is a meeting between two nations united by a shared respect for naval tradition and its core values of discipline, courage, teamwork, resilience and mutual trust. This port call is particularly significant as Mircea is a sister ship of the Portuguese training vessel Sagres. Together with the American Eagle and the German Gorch Fock, the two ships took part in the 'Five Sisters Trophy' regatta in July, an event dedicated to the sister training ships built at the same German shipyard,' the embassy said in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

The three-masted barque is currently on the return leg of its international voyage, which began in April and is scheduled to conclude in September with its arrival in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.

'The ship's five-month transatlantic itinerary has included calls on the U.S. coast, as well as in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Canada, Tunisia, Greece and Turkey. This is Mircea's fourth transatlantic voyage, following those in 1976, 2004 and 2009. With more than 180 sailors on board, including Romanian cadets from the 'Mircea cel Batran' Naval Academy and naval academy students from 10 partner countries, the sailing ship proudly flies the Romanian flag on the banks of the Tagus River,' the embassy said.

During its stay in Lisbon, the ship and its crew, under the command of Captain Silviu-Marius Moraru and Transatlantic Voyage Commander Gabriel Moise, will take part in meetings with their Portuguese counterparts, as well as official and public events on board organised in cooperation with the Romanian Embassy in Portugal. The programme reflects the close cooperation between the Romanian and Portuguese navies and the strong bilateral partnership between the two countries.

'Maritime enthusiasts are invited on board for a unique glimpse into the daily life of Romanian sailors, to experience the ship's atmosphere and learn about its participation in the recent Sail4th 250 tall ships parade in New York. Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover Romanian seafaring traditions, the art of sailing and lesser-known aspects of Romania's maritime history,' the embassy said.

The ship will be open to visitors on Sunday and Monday between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Rocha Conde de Araújo Maritime Station passenger terminal.

The three-masted Mircea, which is about 82 metres long and is homeported in Constanta on the Black Sea, carries 23 sails with a total sail area of 1,750 square metres. Built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938 for the Romanian Navy, she is a sister ship of the U.S. Coast Guard's Eagle, Germany's Gorch Fock and Portugal's Sagres. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mihai Stoica; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)