Photo: Petros Karadjias/AP/dpa/picture alliance
“It is also important to ensure security in the Black Sea to protect critical infrastructure and strategic energy projects,” Mr. Dan emphasized. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027. The project is being implemented by the state-owned Romgaz and OMV Petrom, which is controlled by the Austrian company OMV. The project is estimated to cost €4 billion, according to Politico.
NATO fears an escalation of the drone situation in Europe. At a closed-door meeting of 32 NATO ambassadors on Wednesday, a decision was made to accelerate the procurement of interceptor drones. However, the timeline for procurement and delivery of the equipment to the troops is unknown, Politico reports.
Citing sources, the publication reports that NATO representatives discussed threats to Romania as recently as last week. According to Politico’s sources, participants in that meeting expressed a willingness to send additional air defense assets to the country. In late May, a drone struck a residential high-rise building in the city of Galați in eastern Romania. The country’s authorities blamed Russia for the incident.
A diplomatic source stated that Wednesday’s meeting underscored the need for the urgent implementation of “concrete initiatives” ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit on July 7–8 in Ankara.
Media reports indicated that some European countries want to sign agreements with Romania for gas supplies from the Black Sea field Neptun Deep. For example, Romanian supplies would be guaranteed to cover 20–25% of the volume needed to replace Russian gas for Hungary, the publication Index reported.
