ForMin Aurescu: Romania is firmly committed to joint efforts to strengthen Eastern partners' resilience

Romania is firmly committed to supporting joint efforts meant to strengthen the resilience of Eastern partners, with the common strategic interest being to facilitate a climate of security and democratic stability in the immediate vicinity and in the Black Sea region, said Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu at the Bucharest Forum on Friday, agerpres reports.

According to a press release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), Aurescu pointed out that the Eastern Partnership - through its bilateral and multilateral dimension - is the most effective tool to support resilience and sustainable development in the Eastern Neighbourhood and pointed out that the next period is crucial for this format, which needs to become more ambitious, as the strategy and goals for the post-2020 era, on which the Eastern Partnership Summit will be agreed, need to be implemented.

The head of the Romanian diplomacy emphasized the importance of the continuation of the reforms by the partner states, as well as their coherent action based on the common values, as a foundation for achieving long-term stability and sustainable development. He encouraged "deeper sectoral cooperation with the most advanced and ambitious partners."

"We must make every effort to end the cycle of conflict, instability and competing interests that are harming the region. That is why Romania is firmly committed to supporting joint efforts to strengthen the resilience of our eastern partners. This key support is based on our common strategic interest to plan and and facilitate a climate of security, democratic stability and socio-economic progress in our immediate neighbourhood and in the Black Sea region, which is to the benefit of the Euro-Atlantic community, the EU and its partners," Minister Bogdan Aurescu is quoted as saying in the press release.

The Bucharest Forum is an initiative of the Aspen Romania Institute, supported by the German Marshall Fund of the US - the Bucharest Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with other Romanian government institutions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, gave a speech at the opening of the session dedicated to resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood, at the 10th edition of the Bucharest Forum, held on Thursday and Friday, under the high patronage of the President of Romania.