Gabriel Les

Discussions carried out by the defence ministers in the 28 EU states at the informal meeting in Bucharest were fruitful, generating a positive exchange of opinions on topical security issues and topics related to the future of EU defence, Minister of Defence Gabriel Les stated on Thursday.

Defence ministers from EU Member States gathered at an informal meeting on Thursday morning at the Palace of Parliament to analyze the prospects for the implementation of the EU's Global Strategy for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, an event organized by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday evening in Bucharest that it is important that the European Union's defense efforts do not compete with those of the North Atlantic Alliance but are complementary.

The partnership between the European Union and NATO is essential, being strengthened over the past years and the consolidation of European defence and, at the same time, the EU-NATO cooperation represent a reason of pride, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated on Wednesday evening, shortly after arriving in Bucharest in order to attend the info

Minister of National Defense Gabriel Les emphasized, during a meeting in Brussels this Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the need to strengthen NATO's posture at the Black Sea by establishing a strong allied land presence in Romania, tasked with deterring and defending the allied territory, a strengthened naval dimension, and by improving air policing activities.

Strengthening Romania's profile as a regional pillar of security and stability inside NATO and the European Union is a steady goal of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN), Minister in charge Gabriel Les said at the 2018 stocktaking meeting of the Navy General Staff.

Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg confirmed his attendance to the informal meeting of defence ministers of the EU member states, which is schedule to take place in Bucharest on 30 and 31 January, National Defence Gabriel Les told AGERPRES on Thursday.

The initiation of a challenge procedure in a contentious administrative court of the decree to extend General Nicolae Ciuca's mandate as Chief of General Staff is being prepared at the National Defence Ministry (MApN), official sources confirmed for AGERPRES.

According to the sources, the challenge will be most probably filed on Wednesday.

Minister of Defence Gabriel Les thinks that the decree President Klaus Iohannis signed to extend the mandate of General Nicolae Ciuca as Chief of the Defence Staff is illegal.

Bucharest, Dec 29 /Agerpres/ - The Official Gazette published on Saturday the decree signed by President Klaus Iohannis on extending the mandate of General Nicolae Ciuca as Chief of Defence Staff for a year.