Nicuşor Dan announces NATO meeting on the Black Sea and calls for additional support to combat drones and protect infrastructure

President Nicuşor Dan announced on Wednesday that, following talks held last week in Brussels, the North Atlantic Council had convened to assess security developments in the Black Sea and consider measures to protect navigation, trade and energy infrastructure.

Romania called on its allies for additional support through counter-drone capabilities, surveillance, reconnaissance and expertise, as well as an adapted and strengthened NATO posture in the region. According to the head of state, these measures are necessary to protect human lives, critical infrastructure and international trade routes.

Nicuşor Dan stressed that Romania is fulfilling its responsibilities within the Alliance. He referred to the October 17 incident, when two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft reportedly intercepted and shot down two drones that had illegally entered national airspace over the territorial waters in the Sulina area. The president congratulated the pilots on their rapid response and said that Romania would firmly defend its airspace and territorial waters.

The NATO meeting took place after the meeting in Brussels between Nicuşor Dan, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The discussions focused on recent incidents involving drones and attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, which were considered signs of a deterioration in the regional security situation.

The president said that allied solidarity remained unwavering and that the commitment to defend every allied territory, including airspace and territorial waters, was shared by the entire Alliance.