French president Emmanuel Macron arrived in Romania on Tuesday evening and will be meeting Romanian president Klaus Iohannis at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in south-eastern Romania on Wednesday. According to a statement from the president’s office, the two will have official talks and will meet Romanian, French and allied military stationed in Romania to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The statement also writes that Emmanuel Macron’s visit is part of intense bilateral political dialogue and within the strategic partnership between the two countries and the close European and international cooperation framework. To this adds France’s recent decision to be the framework nation for the allied battle group created in Romania and to participate with troops to this group. Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Iohannis are expected to discuss ways to consolidate the Romanian-French strategic partnership, Romania’s accession to the Schengen free movement area and Romania’s active involvement in the protection of the European Union’s external borders. Talks will also look at the requests to be granted EU candidate status from Ukraine, Georgia and the majority-Romanian speaking Republic of Moldova. On Wednesday Macron will also travel to Moldova, one of the countries most affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where he is expected to convey France’s support.
