Romania has restated its commitment to a 1, 2 billion Euro contract with Naval Group.

Romania, which opened a new corvette construction tender last year (2019), announced it would work with France-based Naval Group.  Naval Group announced that it would build four Gowind-class corvettes under the contract and modernize existing Type 22 frigates in the Romanian Navy inventory.

However, no contract was signed between the parties. Italian Fincantieri and Dutch Damen shipyard also participated in the tender, Romanian local media reported. Romanian authorities have previously tried to block naval group's offer and give the contract to Damen for “political reasons”. Therefore, the agreement between France and Romania has not yet been signed.

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban's statement in Paris on Monday (October 26th) was the green light for the signing of the contract.

“When the case is final in court, we will be ready to sign the contract. It's important for us to sign and fulfil this contract. The construction of the corvettes veins is critical to Romania's strategy in the Black Sea,” Orban said.