Foreign Affairs Minister Bogran Aurescu is inaugurating on Tuesday Romania-Spain-Poland trilateral format, within a meeting which takes place in Valencia, the Kingdom of Spain, write Agerpres.

The inaugural meeting will be hosted by Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, and Poland will be represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau.

According to a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), „the initiation of this trilateral dialogue represents a materialization of the close cooperation between the three countries at the EU and NATO level, based on similar and interconnected strategic interests, even if they are at different ends of the European continent.”

In addition, each of the three states is exercising special responsibilities at the external border of the EU and NATO with the two Neighbors – Eastern and Southern, the quoted source mentions.

This trilateral format will thus facilitate „a better mutual understanding at the EU and NATO level between the three states, with the goal of bringing positions closer together for coordination and advancing priorities and actions of common interest, taking into account each state’s own perceptions and assessments of the risks and challenges which the European and Euro-Atlantic area of security and values are confronted with at the moment.”

The agenda of the inaugural meeting will include the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the next two Summits of the European Political Community in Chisinau on 1 June and in Granada on 5 October, the strategic resilience of the European Union, the EU enlargement, migration issues, strengthening the Schengen area, cooperation on energy security.

In terms of security and cooperation within NATO, there will be tackled issues such as managing the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, support for Ukraine and for the other partners most affected by Russia’s conduct, especially the Republic of Moldova, the priorities of this year’s NATO Summit in Vilnius, the challenges facing the Eastern and Southern Neighborhood at the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively.

Within the inaugural meeting of the trilateral format, minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate „the firm and multidimensional support for Ukraine and will exchange views with his counterparts regarding the ways to coordinate and provide a strengthened support to Ukraine and to mobilize international support for the Peace Formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the solutions to hold Russia accountable, reconstruction and the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic outlooks.”

Minister Aurescu will also mention the importance of maintaining the stability and security of the Republic of Moldova and will highlight the importance of opening Moldova’s accession negotiations to the EU, at the same time with Ukraine, in view of the year-end. The Romanian minister will also thank for the strong support of Spain and Poland and reiterate the importance of maintaining a strong and active support from Spain and Poland in order to complete Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.