Minister Oana Toiu reaffirms, at EAC need for continued EU support for Ukraine

  The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, participated on Tuesday in the meeting of foreign ministers of the EU member states (Foreign Affairs Council/EAC), which took place in Brussels, in which context she reaffirmed the need for continued EU support for Ukraine.According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministers discussed Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, developments in Georgia, the Pact and the reform of the Union for the Mediterranean. In the Current Affairs section, EU-CELAC relations and Somalia were discussed. Also, High Representative Kaja Kallas briefly informed about the EU-China strategic dialogue, respectively the EU-China and EU-Japan summits.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha gave a videoconference address on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, presenting the latest developments on the ground and discussions on peace in his country, and the foreign ministers exchanged views on the EU's multidimensional support for Ukraine."Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana ?oiu, reaffirmed the need for continued EU support for Ukraine, with an emphasis on military, financial support and assistance in preparation for the upcoming cold season," the MFA informs.She also stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia by adopting new restrictive measures. The Romanian minister welcomed the adoption of five additional listings under the restrictive measures regime regarding human rights violations in Russia, as well as 15 listings under the restrictive measures regime against Russia's destabilizing actions abroad."These measures are intended, primarily, to limit Russia's ability to finance the war and to impose economic and political costs on Russian political actors responsible for human rights violations and Russia's destabilizing actions," MAE says.Oana Toiu supported the rapid adoption of the 18th sanctions package and spoke in favor of agreeing on a formula at the EU level that would allow for the limitation of Russian diplomats on the territory of the Union.The Romanian minister expressed support for advancing the accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the EU and advocated intensifying outreach efforts to global partners regarding a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, including in view of the upcoming High-Level Week within the UN General Assembly in September 2025.The discussion on developments in the Middle East addressed the situation in Gaza, in which Minister Oana Toiu stressed the importance of measures to improve the serious humanitarian situation. In this regard, she welcomed the recent constructive dialogue between the EU and Israel, following which this country agreed on significant measures to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the measures to be implemented in the coming days. She also reiterated her support for the conclusion of a peace agreement and the release of hostages.Regarding Iran, the Romanian foreign minister expressed deep concern over the country's actions in the region and internationally and disapproval of the Tehran regime's decision to cease cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He also stressed the need to maintain close monitoring of developments in the Iranian nuclear program, following the partial dismantling by the US of its main production facilities, which continues to pose significant risks of proliferation and threat to global security.The head of Romanian diplomacy expressed, with reference to the developments in Georgia, concern regarding the democratic regression of the authorities and the measures to restrict the space for expression and repress the voices of the opponents. She supported the importance of maintaining a principled approach of the EU towards the situation in Georgia by adopting a proportional and reversible, but at the same time pragmatic reaction, which would preserve the option of dialogue, considering the long-term strategic objective of the EU for the region.Regarding the Pact and the reform of the Union for the Mediterranean, the Romanian official expressed the importance of supporting the transition from cooperation to a sustainable partnership and stressed the need for partners to assume responsibility, as an essential step in aligning EU actions with the local specificities of each state.In the margins of the EAC meeting, High Representative Kaja Kallas hosted an informal breakfast with the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popsoi. The Romanian Foreign Minister highlighted the complex situation in the Republic of Moldova in the context of the intensification of Russia's hybrid actions against Chisinau. She welcomed the adoption, at Romania's initiative, of ten new listings under the EU restrictive measures regime in view of Russia's destabilizing actions abroad, as well as two new listings under the restrictive measures regime in view of Russia's destabilizing actions abroad, with the targeted individuals and entities to be subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze. Oana Toiu also underlined the importance of the continued support of the EU and its Member States and reiterated her support for advancing the EU accession process.At the same time, in the context of participating in the CAE meeting, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, as well as with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski. The discussions focused on concrete ways to capitalize on the bilateral Strategic Partnerships, with an emphasis on diversifying economic exchanges and regional security, including cooperation in the field of the defense industry. In the dialogue with the Polish official, Minister Oana ?oiu highlighted the interest in working together to use the joint opportunities offered by EU funding to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. At the meeting with his Spanish counterpart, the Romanian dignitary emphasized the trust in the joint commitment to finalizing the bilateral Agreement on Dual Citizenship.