<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong><span class="HwtZe" lang="en"><span class="jCAhz ChMk0b"><span class="ryNqvb">The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, made an official trip to Romania on Wednesday, where she visited the Spanish troops deployed in this area of the Eastern flank and was received by her counterpart, Angel Tilvar.</span></span></span></strong></h4> <div class="lRu31" dir="ltr"> <div class="OvtS8d"></div> <div id="ow44">Robles held her meeting with Tilvar during her visit to the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, in Constanta, where the 'Paznic' and 'Tigru' detachments operate and where nearly 200 Spanish soldiers contribute, in her words, to "the defense of peace, freedom and human rights" in this country bordering Ukraine.</div> </div> During the interview, the minister reiterated to Angel Tilvar Spain's commitment to NATO and its support for Ukraine in the defense of "democratic values and the rejection of the unjust war caused by Russia." She also expressed his satisfaction to the Spanish soldiers for “the contribution of the Spanish Armed Forces to NATO and to the security of countries that face a nearby threat.” For his part, the Romanian minister thanked Spain for its support and expressed his wish that the Spanish troops “continue here.” The tactical air detachment ‘Paznic’, in which Spain has 200 troops and six Eurofighters, and the detachment ‘Tigru’, deployed 60 kilometres south of the base and in charge of the air surveillance radar that contributes to the deterrence and defence of the allied countries, operate within the framework of NATO’s ‘Persistent Effort’ operation for surveillance and protection of the Alliance’s eastern flank. In addition, last November the Spanish Armed Forces completed the deployment of a contingent made up of more than 200 marine infantry personnel from the Tercio de Armada, at the Cincu base. The Spanish soldiers are part of a multinational battalion led by France, to which Spain also provides around 40 vehicles. The Romanian tactical group is one of eight deployed along the eastern flank to contribute to deterrence in this allied territory against the Russian threat.
