Nicușor Dan meets Friedrich Merz in Finland to discuss NATO flank security, defense cooperation, and EU budget

Strategic meeting in Rovaniemi

Romanian President Nicușor Dan met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday, 13 September 2026, during the European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi, Finland. The bilateral discussion evaluated the strategic partnership between Bucharest and Berlin across defense industrial cooperation, European Union budget allocations, and regional foreign policy. Following the meeting, Dan announced on social media that the conversation reconfirmed the solid foundation of bilateral relations between Romania and Germany. The two leaders examined potential joint initiatives between Romanian and German defense industries, seeking closer industrial ties to support regional defense requirements.

In terms of security, I emphasized the need to strengthen NATO's Eastern Flank against Russian threats, including drone incursions into allied airspace, and discussed the potential for Romanian-German defense industrial cooperation.

Eastern flank defense and airspace protection

Security along NATO's eastern perimeter was the primary focus of the talks between Dan and Merz. Dan pointed to the ongoing necessity of reinforcing allied defense deployments across the region in response to security threats originating from Russia. The leaders examined repeated incursions of unmanned drones into sovereign allied airspace, noting that such incidents represent an escalating security challenge for countries situated on the eastern border of the alliance. To counter these vulnerabilities, Dan and Merz evaluated bilateral opportunities for joint defense production and expanded industrial collaboration between Romanian and German defense manufacturers.

European budget priorities and Moldovan integration

The two leaders evaluated the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework, which will define European Union budget allocations in the coming cycle. Dan stated that Romania advocates for an ambitious overall EU budget that preserves a robust cohesion policy and secures adequate funding for agricultural development. Beyond financial negotiations, Dan placed the European integration of neighboring Moldova at the forefront of the discussions, reiterating that supporting Chișinău remains a top priority for Romania. The Romanian president urged EU member states to provide firm backing for Moldova's accession progress, specifically calling for all negotiating clusters and chapters to open according to schedule.

I emphasized that the European path of the Republic of Moldova remains a priority for Romania, and its progress deserves firm support, including the timely opening of all negotiation clusters.

The Arctic to Black Sea security continuum

The bilateral dialogue took place within the schedule of the European Summit dedicated to the Arctic Region, held in Rovaniemi on 13 and 14 September 2026. Organized at the initiative of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the summit was designed to strengthen the European Union's strategic approach toward northern polar challenges. The gathering brought together European leaders including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Council President António Costa, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. The Romanian Presidential Administration stated that Dan will present Romania's security perspective during the working sessions, proposing a unified management approach for interconnected security challenges spanning from the Arctic region to the Black Sea.