U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III discussed the security of the Black Sea region and strengthening a strategic partnership with Romania’s president before a NATO meeting that will be dominated by concerns about Russian influence in the region.
The defense secretary thanked President Klaus Iohannis for hosting him during his one-day official visit to Bucharest on Wednesday.
“It’s been 141 years since our establishment of diplomatic relations, and the friendship between the Romanian people and the American people has never been stronger,” he said in a tweet.
Before heading to Brussels for the NATO ministerial meeting, the defense secretary met American troops at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base at the Black Sea.
“I had the pleasure of meeting with troops at the MK Airbase. These talented men and women, along with our allies, are absolutely critical to maintaining Black Sea region security,” he said in a tweet.
The U.S. defense secretary visited Georgia and Ukraine during his tour to Europe. The two-day NATO ministerial meeting starts on Thursday.
Russian military jets intercepted over the Black Sea by Canadian aircraft
