ForMin Melescanu meets ambassadors of EU member states, conveys message that Romania is ready to takeover Presidency of EU Council

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu gave assurances on Wednesday to the ambassadors of the EU member states in Bucharest that Romania is ready to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU, while at a working lunch organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Austria to Romania, in the context of exercising the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council. According to a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), the Foreign Affairs Minister hailed the objectives of the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council and reiterated Romania’s support for the efforts put in achieving the priorities it established. “He gave assurances to the ambassadors of the EU member states in Bucharest that Romania is ready to take over the Presidency of the EU Council, mentioning the coordination role of the Foreign Affairs Ministry at national level in preparing for the exercise of this responsibility. He highlighted the good cooperation with the current Austrian Presidency of the EU Council, in view of ensuring a good transition between the Trio of presidencies which is part of and which is to be inaugurated by Romania, on 1 January 2019,” reads the release. The quoted source mentions that the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, emphasising on the objective of ensuring unity at European level. “The Romanian dignitary stressed the importance of the informal Summit in Sibiu, on 9 May 2019, for the strengthening of the European project, based on an increased cohesion and a renewed trust of the citizens in the European Union. Minister Teodor Melescanu emphasised the objectives of the external agenda of the EU during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, expressing support for the consolidation of the European project, including in view of the EU taking a prominent role on the global stage. He reconfirmed that Romania will support the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the pursuit of the objectives of the EU Global Strategy, According to the same source, Minister Melescanu reiterated Romania’s commitment for advancing the enlargement policy, highlighting, at the same time, the need for maintaining the European commitment towards the Eastern Partnership. “In this context, he underscored the need to develop relations with eastern partners that concluded Association Agreements with the European Union – the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine,” according to the release. Moreover, the Foreign Affairs Minister mentioned the interest of the future Romanian Presidency of the Council for an increased involvement of the EU in the Black Sea region, as well as for the development of the EU-Central Asia relationship. Furthermore, Minister Melescanu underscored Romania’s interest, as the future Presidency of the EU Council, in the direction of developing the transatlantic relation, the EU-NATO cooperation, as well as endorsing multilateralism and cooperation with the United Nations,” the MAE release mention.

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