Bolojan, face to face with representatives of the defense industry
Interim president Ilie Bolojan participated in a working meeting at the Cotroceni Palace on Thursday, along with representatives of the national defense industry and the main trade union groups in the field.
According to a statement from the Presidential Administration, the discussions focused on the EU plan to strengthen the defense capabilities, called Rearm/Readiness 2030, a European initiative launched in the context of the current security situation, marked by the Ukraine and Aggressive Politics of Russia.
‘Romania will follow the effective integration in this plan to strengthen its defense capacity and develop the national industry, capitalizing on the opportunities offered by the EU, complementary to the commitments made within NATO’, the source shows.
President Bolojan stressed that Romania has the opportunity to strengthen its military capabilities, to attract investments in the field of defense and to modernize the profile industry, facilitating job creation and technological transfer.
Another point discussed was the financing of double use projects, both military and civil, with an emphasis on military mobility and infrastructure. Also, the need for more transparent and simplified legislation was highlighted to stimulate local production, industrial cooperation and attracting investments, the Presidential Administration said.
The Rearm/Readiness 2030 plan, presented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on March 4, is structured on five pillars:
* A new financial instrument (Security Action for Europe / Safe) – advantageous loans guaranteed from the EU budget;
* Increasing support from the European Investment Bank, by extending the eligibility categories;
* Flexibility of existing EU instruments for larger defense investments, including reviewing cohesion policy;
* Mobilization of private capital for industrial scale development;
* Increasing the public financing for defense by activating the derogatory clause of the stability and growth pact.
The objective of this plan is the coordinated and accelerated growth of the defense expenses of the Member States, the reduction of strategic dependencies and the consolidation of the European profile industry. A common list of EU priorities includes essential fields such as air and missile defense, artillery, missiles and ammunition systems, anti-drone drones, critical infrastructure, military mobility, cyber defense, artificial intelligence and electronic war.
« President Ilie Bolojan has reaffirmed the commitment of Romania to implement this plan as a strategic priority, maintaining an active dialogue with the national industry to maximize the benefits of this European initiative, » informs the source.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Government, including Bogdan-Gruia Ivan, Minister of Economy, Digitization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Stefan-Radu Oprea, the head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, and Eduard Bacare, Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, together with over 160 representatives of public and private companies, trade union.
The event was moderated by Bogdan Mazuru, presidential counselor in the Foreign Political Department, who also presented the Rearm Europe plan. Mihai Jurca, presidential counselor in the Department of Administration, Public Policies and Civil Society, and Dragoș Anastasiu, honorary counselor for the relationship with the business policy and social policies, also took.
