The diplomacy heads of the NATO member states gathered on Tuesday, at the Palace of Parliament, being welcomed by Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Agerpres reports.

In the statements made upon arriving at the Palace of Parliament, the high diplomats present in Bucharest expressed their support for Ukraine, against which Russia launched a war, with reference to the seriousness of the humanitarian situation, and, in the same context, they mentioned the necessity and unity of the NATO partnership. Concerns related to the risks of the energy and economic crisis were also mentioned.

Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu underscored that the unfolding in Bucharest of the NATO foreign affairs ministers’ meeting is a first for Romania, as well as for NATO.

He mentioned that for Romania this is the first meeting of the foreign affairs ministers which our country is hosting since the Alliance’s session, back in 2004. Secondly, the Romanian Minister said it is a very important moment because precisely 20 years ago, Romania was invited, alongside other 6 countries to join NATO. Minister Aurescu stated that today, this anniversary will be celebrated together with the ministers of the NATO countries invited to the summit.

Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg stated, upon his arrival at the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, hosted at the Palace of Parliament, that NATO member states are providing unprecedented aid to Ukraine and will continue to support the Ukrainians by distributing powerful anti-aircraft defence elements and for the reconstruction of the gas and electrical infrastructure.

„What we have seen since President Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is that President Putin is failing in Ukraine. He is responding with more brutality, attacking gas infrastructure, power lines, and trying to deprive the Ukrainians of water, electricity, lights and heating. Therefore, we need to support Ukraine because what we see is that President Putin is trying to use winter as a weapon of war, which is inflicting a lot of suffering on the Ukrainian people. NATO Allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine, and they will continue to provide unprecedented support to Ukraine, including by helping them to rebuild their gas and power infrastructure, of course also continue to deliver air defense systems,” the NATO Secretary General stated.

He mentioned that NATO and other member states have already delivered essential elements to limit the effects of the Russian attacks over the electric and gas infrastructure of Ukraine.

After the official greeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers attending the Ministerial Meeting and the official photograph, the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers session, with Finland and Sweden is scheduled to take place.

The meeting in Bucharest of the NATO foreign affairs ministers, hosted on Tuesday and Wednesday, at the Palace of Parliament, will focus on further grating military assistance to Ukraine, as well as the supply with air defence systems and ammunitions, but the talks will also tackle the non-lethal aid granted to Kyiv.

Alongside the heads of diplomacy from the 30 member states of the North Atlantic Alliance, the NATO Secretary General and the other high political and military officials of the Alliance, also attending the meeting in Bucharest are Finland’s and Sweden’s Foreign Ministers, as guest states to join the organization.

The foreign ministers from the Republic of Moldova (for the first time attending such a meeting), Ukraine, Georgia and Bosnia will participate in the sessions open to partners within the meeting.

Agerpres