Participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu in the Informal Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States on the Occasion of the High-Level Week of the 78th UN General Assembly
Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu attended on September 18, 2023, the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in New York on the margins of the High-Level Week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
Ministers discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, focusing on the situation on the ground, food security and the geopolitical consequences of the war, as well as the diplomatic approaches to the peace formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski.
In a strategic discussion, ministers also assessed the EU’s approach to the Sahel region, including the developments in Niger.
Recent developments in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue were discussed under the heading of Current Issues.
Regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu condemned Russia’s repeated attacks on the Ukrainian Danube ports of Reni and Ismail and provided information on the discovery on Romanian territory of fragments of drone similar to those used by the Russian army in Ukraine.
Luminița Odobescu highlighted Romania’s role in assuring the transit of Ukrainian grain, especially after Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and drew attention to the increasing pressure on the EU Solidarity Corridors. She reiterated Romania’s commitment to continue its efforts to facilitate the transit of grain, noting that more than 25.5 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain and goods have transited through our country. At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs underlined the importance of continuing to support Ukraine, while properly managing the impact on domestic markets and farmers.
With regard to the Peace Formula proposed by President Zelenski, Minister Luminita Odobescu stressed the importance of continuing the dialogue on its deepening and detailing after the Jeddah discussions (5-6 August). The Romanian official mentioned our country’s active participation in diplomatic efforts at the European level to manage dialogue with global actors on the geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine, in the context of the UN General Assembly.
The discussion on the EU’s approach in the Sahel was a follow-up to the informal Foreign Ministers/Gymnich debate (Toledo, 30-31 August), which recognised the need for a strategic reflection on the consequences of the coup in Niger for the Sahel region.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to security and stability in the Sahel region, noting the risk of proliferation. In this context, she underlined the importance of addressing the root causes of instability in the region, such as the fight against terrorism and its sources of financing, while investing in education, food security and health.
Text and photo Source www.mae.ro
21.09.2023 / Editor, Andreea Dragan
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