In conversation with Turkish counterpart, ForMin Aurescu voices Romania's support for de-escalation in Eastern Mediterranean

Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday had a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at Cavusoglu's request.

According to a press statement released by the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) the two ministers discussed developing bilateral relationships at the level of a strategic partnership, focusing on common issues of interest, including amid the developments in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

About the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, a matter that will be on the agenda of an extraordinary meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council on August 14, 2020, to be attended by Aurescu, the Romanian chief diplomat underscored the need to ensure a climate free of tensions, in which sense he urged calm and emphasized the importance of identifying solutions based on honest, direct dialogue between the parties involved, in compliance with the applicable international law. He also welcomed the openness expressed by the Turkish foreign minister, in their conversation, towards a dialogue for the de-escalation of the situation.

"Minister Bogdan Aurescu underlined Romania's readiness to support, including from inside the European Union, this de-escalation process, given both Romania's ability to understand the particularities and interests of the region and its expertise in maritime delineation and the settlement of this type of disputes by applying international law and using specific instruments."

The head of the Romanian diplomacy also reiterated the usefulness of maintaining a constructive, trust-based dialogue between the European Union and Turkey, which remains a key partner and a strategic neighbour of the EU.