President Nicusor Dan marked Romanian Armed Forces Day on Sunday with a visit to the 86th Air Base Lieutenant Gheorghe Mociornita in Borcea, Calarasi County, where he expressed confidence in Romania's ability to build a stable, strong country, firmly rooted in European values.

'The Armed Forces are one of Romania's emblematic institutions and, not coincidentally, the institution Romanians trust the most, because in a world marked by uncertainty, the military continues to embody the values that society so greatly needs: seriousness, discipline and a sense of duty fulfilled. These are values upheld and defended generation after generation, with great courage and often at the cost of lives. We owe our freedom to these heroes, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten. My message to Romanians is one of confidence in our ability to build a stable, strong country, firmly anchored in the values of the great European family, a country where we can live in safety, protected by our strategic partnership with the United States and our NATO membership. The Armed Forces have an important role to play in building a secure Romania. Our military personnel - whether on active duty, in the reserves or retired - are highly skilled professionals, tested in demanding missions, with careers marked by outstanding achievements, who have earned the respect and admiration of our allies,' the president said.

Nicusor Dan also spoke about Romania's opportunity to strengthen its resilience during this period 'marked by major risks' through significant investment in modernising and equipping its armed forces.

'We are going through a period marked by major risks, but we must bear in mind one important thing: strong countries do not merely survive crises; they turn them into opportunities. The current global dynamics offer us an opportunity to strengthen our resilience to shocks by developing a modern, competitive economy and investing in strong defence capabilities. We have, and will continue to have, a substantial defence budget, in line with Romania's commitments within NATO. We are keeping our most important resource, our people, at the centre of our concerns, ensuring that they have appropriate working conditions and opportunities for professional development. At the same time, we are investing significantly in modernising and equipping our armed forces, as well as in training our military personnel alongside allies and partners. A strong military relies on a strong economy. Military procurement and the revival of our defence industry are inextricably linked. Through the SAFE programme, we are producing and procuring modern military equipment for our troops while also investing in Romanian factories, creating jobs and developing infrastructure that serves both the Armed Forces and the civilian population,' the president said.

He also referred to the 'unprecedented' threats in the Black Sea and gave assurances that Romania was prepared to act 'firmly to deter and, if necessary, neutralise any threat at our borders'.

'Russia's war against Ukraine is currently generating unprecedented threats in the Black Sea, extending into Romania's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, endangering our security and freedom of navigation. Together with our NATO allies and European Union partners, we will act firmly to deter and, if necessary, neutralise any threat at our borders. In this context, I would like to thank our Spanish allies, who are currently taking part in air-policing missions alongside Romanian Air Force pilots, as well as the other allied military personnel training alongside their Romanian counterparts on our country's territory,' Nicusor Dan said.

The Romanian president congratulated the personnel of the 86th Air Base Lieutenant Gheorghe Mociornita on the way they carry out their air-policing missions, referring to the two drones shot down in Romanian airspace several days earlier.

'My decision to be here today was no coincidence. All of you are quite literally on the front line of defending Romania's airspace. You demonstrated this without hesitation just a few days ago, when you precisely shot down two hostile drones in our airspace. I want to congratulate you on the exemplary way in which you protect your country. Beyond its air-policing missions, Romania demonstrates here, at Borcea, not only that it benefits from security, but that it is also a provider of security beyond its borders. Through the European F-16 Training Centre, you have transformed this base into a regional centre of excellence. The joint training of Romanian, allied and partner pilots is more than a simple exercise in training together; it means interoperability, rapid response in crisis situations and deterrence,' Nicusor Dan said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Tina Dumitrescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)