PM Bolojan meets South Korea's Kang on Romania-Korea defence cooperation

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Tuesday welcome visiting South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon Sik, accompanied by a delegation made up of government officials and representatives of South Korean companies of strategic profile.According to the government, the meeting takes place in a symbolic context, in which Romania and the Republic of Korea mark 35 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties - a moment that underlines the solidity and continuity of cooperation between the two countries."Discussions aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations between Romania and the Republic of Korea as part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. The parties appreciated the traditional relations of friendship and constant political dialogue, stressing that the Republic of Korea is Romania's first strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region."The visit of the South Korean delegation is designed to present the opportunities for defence cooperation with emphasis on South Korean investments in the production of military equipment and joint technological development projects."Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan mentioned that Romania already has an ongoing contract with Hanwha Aerospace for the acquisition and production of K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and reiterated the Romanian Government's interest in possible future collaborations with South Korean partners, both in the field of defence and in other economic and technological sectors of shared interest. At the same time, the prime minister presented the current fiscal-budgetary situation and the Romanian government's priorities regarding the modernisation of the armed forces, noting that Romania will use the European financial instrument SAFE to finance acquisitions and production facilities in the national defence industry."Bolojan also said that accessing these funds implies compliance with the criteria established at the level of the European Union, including in terms of transparency and efficient use of public resources.Both sides agreed to continue bilateral dialogue and technical-economic cooperation, with the aim of strengthening the Romania-Korea strategic partnership and increasing South Korean investments in Romania.Also attending the meeting were Mihai Jurca, head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, Romanian Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu and senior official Dragos Hotea.  (Photo:https://gov.ro/)