The Polish Ambassador in Bucharest, Pawel Soloch, stated that Europe's security is defined by the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East represents an additional challenge, including in the context of the involvement of Europe's main ally, the United States.
"Our security, especially in Europe, is defined by the large-scale war in Ukraine. Five years have passed and this war, obviously triggered by Russian aggression, is already reshaping transatlantic relations, as well as relations within the EU and throughout Europe, in a broader sense, and is also reshaping our arms policy. This war is even influencing the domestic politics of some countries, including electoral campaigns. The outcome of this war will determine our security architecture for the coming years," he told the second edition of the Defence Romania Security Dialogue.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Romania, Ozgur Kivanc Altan, underlined the importance of cooperation between neighboring and allied states, recalling that Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria collaborated within the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Force (MCM Black Sea).
"It was not just about countering sea mines, it was also about interoperability. If you can do this, you can do others. We will do more under this umbrella. We will expand the scope of this operation to protecting critical energy infrastructure, which is essential, it is vital for us. We have Sakarya and Romania has Neptun Deep, so this really puts us in the same situation. (...) Romania was an ally for us in NATO, but even a hundred years ago, before World War II, we indicated that whoever attacks Romania attacks Turkey. Ataturk indicated that the power of Romania is the power of Turkey," he noted.
Bulgaria's Ambassador to Romania, Radko Vlaikov, wondered what kind of peace negotiations can take place in Ukraine under the conditions in which the Russians are bombing the energy and civilian infrastructure every night. This "is not a real negotiation process and cannot lead to peace," he said. The ambassador expressed hope that a solution would also be found "very quickly" for the conflict in Iran.
"I hope that the best solution will be found for the people of Iran and for the countries in the region. And I hope that this will happen very, very quickly. But, speaking of Ukraine, this is another problem. And I am a little worried that, in recent days, the topics in the world media and the statements of world politicians have, of course, been related to the situation in the Middle East. But the problem of Ukraine has been mentioned less often in recent days. And this is not right. We must not forget what is happening every day in Ukraine," he stressed.
The Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Romania, Roberto Musneci, has drawn attention to the risk posed by a "potential implosion" of the central state in Iran, given the country's ethnic and religious "fragmentation".
"If any form of control over the territory is lost, then a continuous and contingent corridor is created that could reach the Black Sea, through routes such as Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece or Bulgaria. Or, on a more difficult route, through the north, through the Caucasus. Thus, potentially, one of the problems affecting the civilian population is the instrumentalization of this massive flow of migrants, which many researchers believe that Europe is not really prepared to manage, unless two or three things are done. One is the substantial consolidation of maritime capabilities. Another is the strengthening of relations with the countries of the Caucasus, which could become, at some point, one of the possible routes to Europe and Central Asia," he explained.
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