BUCHAREST, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Thursday finalized a 16.68-billion-euro (19.38-billion-U.S.-dollar) loan agreement with Romania under the European Union's (EU) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, according to Romanian national news agency Agerpres.
The SAFE program is designed to support major investments in defence, strategic infrastructure and the strengthening of the European defence industry, Agerpres reported, citing a statement from Romania's Ministry of Finance.
The ministry said Romania's allocation is the second largest among EU member states under the SAFE instrument, after Poland.
"SAFE is not just a financial instrument, but also an investment in Romania's security and resilience," Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said.
Approved in May 2025, the SAFE instrument forms part of the EU's broader efforts to strengthen collective defence capabilities. The 150-billion-euro (174-billion-dollar) program aims to boost the joint production and procurement of defence equipment across the bloc.
