French President Emmanuel Macron has left Paris and was headed to the Black Sea on Tuesday as part of a regional tour to Romania and non-NATO member Moldova.
Déclaration avant de rejoindre nos militaires déployés en Roumanie. https://t.co/NjQRyPayyt
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 14, 2022
„My dear compatriots, I will be in Romania this evening to support, in your name, military who have been deployed to Romania for the last few months….. to protect the eastern frontier of the European Union and prevent the war in Ukraine spreading,” he said.
The French president will fly to the Black Sea military base of Mihail Kogalniceanu at Constanta where he will be met by Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.
France has deployed about 500 troops in Romania since Russia invaded Ukraine and is playing a key role boosting NATO’s eastern flank.
France deployed an air defense system to Romania last month that will offer protection to troops operating in the area.
Mr Macron will meet Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the air base for talks on Wednesday ahead of a European Council meeting in Brussels and later in the month a NATO summit in Madrid.
The French president is expected to discuss the effects of the conflict in Ukraine, spiraling energy prices and grain exports from Ukraine.
He is joined by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
Following his visit to Romania, he will travel to Moldova where he will meet President Maia Sandu and discuss the Moldova’s bid to join the EU.
France currently holds the presidency of the EU Council.
Emmanuel Macron caută o majoritate în Parlament, pentru al doilea mandat de cinci ani
