DefMin Fifor: Romania faces quite often Russia's provocations but it is ready

Defense Minister Mihai Fifor said on Tuesday, in the context of scrambling British Typhoon airplanes last week from the Kogalniceanu base to intercept a Russian fighter plane detected above the Black Sea, that Romania faces quite often with such challenges from Russia, underlining that our country is ready to cope with any threat. 

"Romania, as a NATO country, as an important actor at the Black Sea, is facing quite often such challenges. (...) Russia is testing. These are actions to test the vigilance and intervention capacity of the NATO army. (...) We are one of the most important presence at the Black Sea, I often like to say - the most important Black Sea security provider and among other missions we carry out, these air policing missions are very well-planned. (...) Whenever we have foreign ships of the Alliance entering the Black Sea, these operations are intensified. (...) These are recon, deterrence missions. It is a game that, as long as it remains within the parameters of a game, it is ok. (...) Romania is ready to face any threat, any challenge at the Black Sea, whether it is in the air or at sea, I do not even want to talk about the rest," Fifor told private TV broadcaster Antena 3. 

He specified that these actions of Russia have intensified after the annexation of Crimea. 

"After the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 by the Russian Federation, these activities in the Black Sea have intensified. It is important that Romania and its allies demonstrate through their actions and exercises that the Black Sea is not a Russian lake. The Black Sea is an open sea in which navigation is perfectly safe. (...) There is a game of provocation, of the response, because the Russian Federation is trying to prove that the Black Sea is the area it controls," said Mihai Fifor. 

He specified that Romania would be able to participate in air policing operations with F16 aircraft as of 2019. 

The minister thanked the British military at Kogalniceanu mission and said that military operations do not hinder civil air traffic.