President Klaus Iohannis welcomed, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who is visiting Romania, with the two officials appreciating in context the current positive dynamics of bilateral relations and reiterating the commitment for the further development and deepening of the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States of America, in all its dimensions, informed the Presidential Administration in a press release sent to Agerpres.

President Iohannis and US Secretary of State Blinken had a „substantial” exchange of views regarding the complex regional context, marked by the intensification of the economic, social and humanitarian effects of Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine and, respectively, the measures taken to implement the decisions on strengthening the deterrence and defense posture on NATO’s Eastern Flank, especially in the Black Sea region, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid, informs the release.
„The President of Romania expressed his appreciation for the role assumed by US President Joseph R. Biden, and the Washington Administration for ensuring unity within the transatlantic community and achieving close coordination between transatlantic and global leaders in order to manage the security situation in our country’s vicinity, with an impact on Euro-Atlantic security,” says the cited source.

The Romanian head of state thanked for the recent addition of the US military presence in Romania, evoked the historic character of the decisions made by the allies in Madrid and appreciated the need for their immediate and comprehensive implementation, the ministerial meeting in Bucharest being an important step in the preparation of additional decisions on the strengthening of the deterrence and defense posture on the entire Eastern Flank, including the Black Sea, at the upcoming Summit in Vilnius.

Topics regarding Allies’ continued support to Ukraine were also addressed, context in which Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed the USA’s appreciation for Romania’s consistent and multidimensional efforts, both through the provision of direct assistance and support for refugees, respectively for the transit of cereals, as well as through the coordination of international efforts in support of the neighboring country.

During the discussions, president Klaus Iohannis and secretary of state Antony Blinken reiterated the common interest to work together to record concrete progress regarding Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver program, the Presidential Administration also shows.

Agerpres