Nicușor Dan and Friedrich Merz discussed NATO security, defense, the EU budget, and the Republic of Moldova in Rovaniemi

President Nicușor Dan met with the Federal Chancellor of Germany in Rovaniemi, Finland, on the sidelines of the European Arctic Summit. The discussions focused on the security of NATO’s eastern flank, industrial cooperation in defense, the future budget of the European Union and the Republic of Moldova’s European path.

Nicușor Dan said the meeting reconfirmed the strong partnership between Romania and Germany. Against the backdrop of threats from Russia, the Romanian president underscored the need to strengthen the Alliance’s eastern flank and discussed drone incursions into the airspace of allied states.

The two officials also examined the possibility of expanding Romanian-German industrial cooperation in defense. Regarding the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework, Romania supports an ambitious budget, with a robust cohesion policy and adequate funding for agriculture.

Another important topic was the Republic of Moldova’s European integration. Nicușor Dan reaffirmed that supporting Chișinău is a priority for Romania and called for all negotiation chapters for the country’s accession to the European Union to be opened in due time.