Romania expresses desire to benefit from PAF’s ‘extensive operational experience’

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu during his official visit to Romania met with Secretary of Defence for Romania Eduard Bachide and Romanian Chief of Defence General Gheorgiță Vlad in a joint meeting, emphasising deeper military to military cooperation between the two countries, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

During this engagement between the highest level military leadership of the two nations, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief said that Pakistan valued its strong diplomatic and defence ties with Romania which were based on convergence on all important issues related to regional peace and security while reiterating strong bilateral military partnership in the face of shared challenges, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

He reaffirmed PAF’s strong commitment to further deepening this partnership by exploring new avenues of collaboration and operational synergy for mutual professional advancement.

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The Romanian secretary of defence, the ISPR said, commended the PAF for its remarkable combat record and operational excellence, expressing Romania’s keen interest in benefitting from PAF’s extensive operational experience.

During the meeting, the Romanian chief of defence lauded the professionalism and capabilities of the PAF and conveyed a strong desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation through enhanced interoperability, joint exercises, training exchanges and professional development programmes aimed at fostering long-term strategic collaboration between the two armed forces.

“The visit of the chief of the air staff to Romania marks a significant step towards fortifying defence relations between the two countries and underscores the mutual resolve of both nations to work together in addressing emerging security challenges through sustained engagement and partnership,” the ISPR said.

The air chief’s Romania visit comes days after a PAF contingent, led by its latest JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets, participated in a bilateral air combat exercise titled Indus Shield Alpha in Azerbaijan on October 19, according to the military’s media wing.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the exercise was designed to enhance tactical coordination, mutual understanding, and interoperability between the air forces of Pakistan and Azerbaijan.