Radu Miruta attends EU defence ministers' Wicklow meeting; maritime security discussed

 EU defence ministers, meeting Monday and Tuesday in Wicklow, Ireland, discussed the Union's support for Ukraine, the role of outer space in security and defence, developments in the Middle East, and maritime security.According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, the exchange of views highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation and Europe's response capacity to threats affecting freedom of navigation, maritime routes and the resilience of strategic infrastructure. Minister Radu Miruta stressed the need for increased vigilance and presented the recent situation in Romania's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, along with the measures taken.In the session dedicated to Ukraine, ministers reviewed the latest developments in EU support and the deepening of EU-Ukraine industrial cooperation. Discussions also covered lessons learned from implementing the Ukraine Support Loan on its military component and from mobilising the European Peace Facility.Regarding the EU's contribution to Ukraine's security guarantees, officials exchanged views on the future of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). They also addressed perspectives for developing security guarantees in a post-conflict phase.Another major topic was the role of outer space in security. Ministers assessed the implementation of the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence and examined the measures needed for the EU to maintain its status as a relevant global actor in the space domain. Discussions underscored the importance of ensuring permanent availability of space-based tools and capabilities for European security and defence, including in crisis situations, and highlighted space as an increasingly strategic enabler for defence planning and development.In the session on current affairs, the ministers analysed the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf (Strait of Hormuz) and its implications for European security, including the coordination of EU naval operations Aspides and Atalanta with wider international efforts to stabilise the region.A separate topic was the assessment of potential new operational commitments under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in Lebanon. (Photo:https://armed.mapn.ro/)