Romania's priorities to EU Council's Presidency addressed by Ciamba, Schmid on OSCE sidelines

Secretary of state for bilateral and strategic affairs in the Euro-Atlantic area, George Ciamba presented the priorities to be promoted by Romania in the field of the foreign relations during its mandate at the helm of the EU Council, with an accent on the Western Balkans and the Eastern neighbourhood, at a meeting he had with the Secretary General of the European Service for External Action, Helga Schmid, on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council, a release sent on Thursday night by the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) to AGERPRES informs. 

"The state secretary emphasised the importance of the EU enlargement policy in both the current debate on Europe's future, and for the development of the European road of the states in the Western Balkan's region, as well as of those in the Eastern neighbourhood. Thus, George Ciamba hailed the European Commission's initiative to present in February 2018, a strategy on the Western Balkans, reasserting Romania's interest to capitalising the opportunities this document will bring to the region and moreover for the encouragement of the aspiring states to the EU membership," the MAE informs. 

Referring to the Eastern proximity, the Romanian dignitary reiterated the need to support and encourage the European aspirations of the Eastern Partnership's countries. He sustained the orientation of the said Partnership's initiatives and projects towards bold, visible projects in the benefit of the states involved and of the European values' promotion in this region, the communique says. 

"The Romanian official pleaded for the European support's continuation granted to the Republic of Moldova and the efforts of the Chisinau gov't in the reform and implementation process of the Association Agreement and of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement /DCFTA. He also mentioned the assistance given to the Republic of Moldova by Romania, bilaterally," the release adds. 

The two officials stressed the importance of increasing the resilience of the partner states in the Eastern vicinity and of the candidate states and potentially candidate states of the Western Balkans aimed to efficiently manage the hybrid threats.