Foreign affairs minister Luminita Odobescu held bilateral meetings with a coalition of international and American Jewish organizations and the leadership of the American Jewish Committee on Thursday on the sidelines of her participation in the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, where she reiterated Romania’s determination to maintain its role as a regional model in combating anti-Semitism and preserving the memory of Holocaust victims, write Agerpres.

According to a foreign affairs ministry (MAE) press release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, the minister met with representatives of B’nai B’rith International, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ), World Jewish Congress, World Jewish Restitution Organization, Anti-Defamation League, Conference of the Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The main issues on the agenda of Romania’s cooperation with these organizations, the priorities of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, the state of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Israel, the security situation in the Black Sea region were addressed during the two meetings, as well as Romania’s actions to prevent and combat anti-Semitism, Holocaust education and sustained support for the Jewish community in Romania, the source said.

”Minister Luminita Odobescu reiterated Romania’s determination to maintain its role as a regional model in combating anti-Semitism and preserving the memory of Holocaust victims, including through memorial projects, monitoring the implementation of the National Strategy for preventing and combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech and developing the future Strategy. The efforts of the Romanian Government in granting pensions to Holocaust survivors and the process of restitution of Jewish property were also mentioned,” the MAE said.

The Romanian minister mentioned the priority relationship with the United States and stressed the importance of achieving tangible progress in Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program.

The excellent level of bilateral relations with the State of Israel was also mentioned, as this year marks 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations.

Representatives of Jewish organizations welcomed the „exemplary” way in which Romania is assisting Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in the context of Russian aggression and expressed their appreciation for Romania’s prominent role in identifying solutions to strengthen security in the Black Sea region, the MAE press release added.

At the same time, they stressed that Romania is seen as a model and a regional leader in terms of its commitment to combating anti-Semitism, promoting the memory of the Holocaust and the heritage of the Jewish community.