ForMin Odobescu emphasizes, at Foreign Affairs Council, Romania's support for Ukraine

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, participated on Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), in which context she emphasized Romania's support for Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) reports.According to the cited source, the agenda of the meeting included Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. At the Current Affairs point, the EU High Representative for foreign policy presented the latest progress achieved at the EU level in the field of digital diplomacy.During an informal lunch, the EU foreign ministers had an exchange of views with the president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calvino.The discussions regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine began with a video conference presentation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, regarding the developments on the ground and the needs of the Ukrainian army.Minister Odobescu highlighted the need to accelerate the European Union's support for Ukraine, including in the military field. On the energy level, she informed about the recent trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, where the interconnection in the energy field between the three states was discussed and he highlighted the support of our country to increase Ukraine's ability to maintain the functionality of the energy infrastructure.At the same time, the Romanian minister emphasized the need to maintain constant pressure on Russia, by implementing the sanctions in force. In the context of the intensification of Russia's hybrid threats to the member states, but also to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, she expressed her support for the rapid adoption of an EU regime of restrictive measures for an adequate EU response to these malignant actions.The Romanian minister reiterated Romania's support for President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula, capable of guaranteeing a just and lasting peace, respecting territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter.As to the Middle East, concern was expressed over the security situation on the border between Israel and Lebanon. Romania supports EU measures to help the Lebanese government and international efforts to keep this country out of the conflict.Support was reiterated for the efforts aimed at implementing the Peace Plan proposed by President Biden and the Security Council resolution, which refers to the need for the release of all hostages and the unfettered access of humanitarian assistance for civilians.Romania expressed support for the resumption of the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah crossing point (EUBAM Rafah), when the conditions on the ground allow it. The importance of the EU's support for the Palestinian Authority and for the reforms it must carry out in order to strengthen its governance capacity was highlighted. The EU must remain engaged in efforts regarding the perspectives of a political process, based on the two-state solution, in coordination with international partners, the U.S., Great Britain and the states in the region.During the discussion with the president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calvino, the Romanian minister welcomed the opportunity to evaluate the methods of adapting the financing of the necessary investments in key areas, such as the defense industry, energy, connectivity, the impact of climate change, in a context marked by multiple challenges to the EU.Luminita Odobescu welcomed the active involvement of the EIB in efforts to strengthen administrative capacity and critical infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of the EU, in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the Western Balkans. She highlighted the importance of the Black Sea region for the reconstruction of Ukraine and for global food security, as well as for the EU's connectivity with the South Caucasus and Central Asia. In this context, she encouraged EIB investments in projects dedicated to the region, considering its strategic relevance for the whole Union.