Foreign Affairs Ministry: Proposal to include debate on Black Sea region conflicts on FAC agenda

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu addressed on Thursday the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, a letter co-signed by his counterparts from 10 EU member states - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden - proposing the inclusion on the agenda of a forthcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting, as a separate item, of an "in-depth" discussion on the EU's role in resolving protracted/frozen conflicts in its Eastern neighborhood/the Black Sea region, according to AGERPRES.

According to a press statement of the Foreign Ministry, the letter comes in continuation of the recent relevant steps taken by the Romanian top diplomat during the meetings of European Foreign Ministers and in the context of contacts with EU counterparts and neighboring partners.

Aurescu highlighted the challenges posed by the persistence of an "arc of instability" in the immediate vicinity of the EU, in the Black Sea area, generated by the existence of a chain of prolonged, either active or so-called "frozen" conflicts, with direct negative effects on regional stability and security and on Europe in general, as well as on the development prospects of societies and the prosperity of citizens. At the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg this October, Minister Bogdan Aurescu proposed the inclusion of this topic on the agenda of a future meeting, the Foreign Ministry mentions, stressing that Romania will continue to play an active role in promoting lines of action that are likely to shape a visible and effective EU engagement in its Eastern neighborhood.