ForMin Odobescu: Romania supports use of Russian assets frozen in the EU for Ukraine's reconstruction

  Foreign Affairs Minister Luminita Odobescu, in remarks at a press conference delivered together with her Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy in Bucharest, declared that Romania supports the identification of a legally sound solution to use the Russian assets frozen and immobilized in the EU for Ukraine's reconstruction."We reviewed the measures aimed at sanctioning and holding Russia accountable. We agreed on the relevance of the coordinated sanctions adopted in cooperation with our allies and partners, with an emphasis on strengthening the transatlantic relationship and the actions initiated together with the G7. We pointed out that in the case of Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine, there is need for three-tiered coordination: adoption, implementation and countering sanctions evasion. In this regard, we welcomed the strong emphasis on counteracting the evasion of the eleventh sanctions package. I conveyed Romania's support for identifying a legally solid solution to use the Russian assets frozen and immobilized on the territory of the European Union for Ukraine's reconstruction," Odobescu said.The Romanian top diplomat mentioned that the "strong support" of the two states for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity was reaffirmed during the bilateral talks."We reiterated the firm and applied support for the European integration and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine, concluding that the support from the international community is not aimed at Ukraine alone, but upholds the principles and norms of the rules-based international order," she said.The Romanian foreign minister also emphasized the need for an adequate and firm response to attempts to destabilize the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the special relevance of strengthening Moldova's resilience against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as of hybrid actions aimed at destabilizing this state.Also, Luminita Odobescu remarked the "encouraging evolution" of commercial exchanges with Lithuania and expressed Romania's interest in developing ties in the fields of energy, cyber security, defense, education and culture. She also thanked Lithuania for supporting Romania's Schengen accession."Today's discussions reconfirmed the close cooperation we have on the major European files and the fact that we have very close stances that pursue to strengthen and support the European construction. With my Lithuanian counterpart I also approached Romania's goal of a rapid completion of its Schengen accession, thanking him once again for Lithuania's firm support in favor of Romania's bid," the Romanian top diplomat said.    Romanian diplomats are determined to continue to make a "substantial contribution" to strengthening Romania's profile within the European Union, NATO and internationally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, said .She added that this meeting is organized under the theme: "A firm foreign policy of Romania: managing challenges and maximizing opportunities", adding that this year's edition resumes the tradition of meetings in physical format.Also, this meeting aims at "close coordination" for the promotion of the interests of Romania and Romanian citizens, as well as "identifying opportunities that lead to the progress and modernization of Romania in the medium and long term", Odobescu added."Romanian citizens must benefit from the opportunities resulting from our well-founded positions, even in this extremely difficult context. Therefore, beyond the extremely important protocol aspect, today's meeting also has the role of strengthening the dialogue and coordination with you (Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu - ed. n), with the leadership of the Government, with the members of the Romanian Government, so that our objectives remain well correlated and coordinate effectively in responding to the challenges and expectations raised by the Romanian citizens," the minister also said.   She concluded by saying that the presence of the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis at the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy is proof of the two countries' "very close relations", based on common interests and values, on effective coordination within the EU, NATO and other regional formats such as the Three Seas Initiative and Bucharest 9.