Ukraine, Romania and Moldova agree to strengthen relations at Bucharest meeting

At a meeting in Bucharest on 13 April, the foreign and defence ministers of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine discussed the security situation in the region and prospects for further cooperation and adopted a joint statement.

Source: The statement was posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, reports European Pravda.

Details: The ministers noted in the statement that the three states have similar security concerns and equal interest in a stable and secure Black Sea region.

They stressed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as a continuation of the aggression launched in 2014, has caused suffering and devastation for millions of people. In addition to military attacks on Ukraine, Russia continues to use a wide range of hybrid tactics intended to further intimidate Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and other countries in the region.

The ministers expressed their willingness to cooperate closely on fostering joint capacities for countering Russian propaganda and strengthening our societies’ resilience, including their resilience to disinformation.

The meeting’s attendees emphasised their commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Moldova and Ukraine within their internationally recognised borders extending to territorial waters, and the Black Sea was acknowledged as a territory of strategic importance for the security of the European continent and the Euro-Atlantic region.

The ministers pledged to continue to cooperate for as long as is necessary in order to uphold the right to freely choose their own foreign policy and alliances, exercise legitimate self-defence, build resilience, and ensure stability, security and prosperity in the region.

They referred to EU enlargement and enhanced cooperation with NATO as pivotal in this regard and promised to make every effort to continue strong European and Euro-Atlantic support for the region.

The ministers are looking forward to the European Commission’s decision on whether Ukraine and Moldova’s EU accession negotiations can begin this year.

Romania and Moldova reiterated their readiness to support Ukraine’s initiative for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, expressing their support for President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and their commitment to actively work with Ukraine on implementing the 10-point peace plan. 

The ministers stressed the importance of the trilateral format of Romania-Moldova-Ukraine dialogue and cooperation in bringing the three countries closer, reaffirming their strong desire to continue their coordination in this format.

They agreed to organise a new round of trilateral talks between the foreign ministers at the earliest opportunity in the near future, involving their ministers for energy and infrastructure as well.

The Black Sea Security Conference in Bucharest on 12 and 13 April brought together the foreign and defence ministers of the three countries, government officials and international partners.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who spoke at the conference via video link, said "It is time to turn the Black Sea into a NATO sea."

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