EconMin Miruta visiting South Korea to identify defence cooperation opportunities

Romania's Minister of the Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Radu Miruta is on an official visit to South Korea to identify concrete opportunities for cooperation in the defence industry, with a focus on South Korean companies' investments in the production of defence equipment and technological development projects in partnership with Romania."Romania is currently holding intense discussions with several foreign partners to find the best option for the local economy to invest the money allocated through the European SAFE programme," according to the Romanian Ministry of Economy .Miruta's visit is occasioned by his participation in the ADEX 2025 exhibition and it takes place on an invitation from South Korean officials. This time, the official delegation also includes businessmen from Romania, from various industries.As part of the work agenda, Miruta had talks with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, with Director of South Korea's Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Jong Gun Seok, as well as a round table with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska.Discussions focused on ways to expand cooperation in the defence industry, including local production in Romania under partnerships with South Korean companies. During this dialogue, the conditions under which South Korean companies can participate in the European Union program - SAFE were also discussed."As the economy minister, I am compelled to make sure that the operational requirements of the Romanian army are transposed into an efficient commercial offer. That does not only mean the investment itself, but also the costs that are incurred later and the impact that these new partnerships have on the local economy - from new jobs to the involvement of Romanian companies in the production chain and the fact that we have to make sure that these investments are made with competitiveness-oriented thinking, to have long-term sustainability," says Miruta.At the same time, clarifications were addressed regarding an ongoing contract between Romania and Hanwha Aerospace for the delivery of 54 K 9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K 10 support vehicles - with estimated delivery starting in 2027 - and the construction of a new plant at Petresti, Dambovi?a County, scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2026.Miruta's agenda includes meetings with executives of the South Korean companies Hanwha Aeronautics and Hyundai Rotem to explore potential partnerships, as well as meetings of interest for the Romanian companies that are part of the delegation.The minister is accompanied by senior official Iuian Margeloiu and a retinue of executives of Romanian company specialising in software, automation, electrical production and cosmetics: UiPath, Cargo Truck, East Electric, Farmec, Skinguru Pirios. The Economy Ministry has launched a call for Romanian companies to present their partnership offers in Seoul."The visit underlines Romania's position as a credible strategic partner at a time when global competition for industrial and technological investments is intense," according to the ministry.  (Photo:https://economie.gov.ro/)