The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) will co-organize the Munich Leaders Meeting, alongside the Munich Security Conference, ahead of the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, informs a MAE press release sent to Agerpres on Thursday.

According to the cited source, Minister Bogdan Aurescu signed on Wednesday the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the prestigious Munich Security Conference (MSC), the final stage of the consultations between the two parties, with a view to co-organizing, on November 28 and 29, in Bucharest, the Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM).

„Holding this meeting in Bucharest, for the first time in a state on the Eastern Flank of NATO, also has a symbolic charge, considering the fact that Romania is the European and allied country with the longest border with Ukraine, in the context of the war of aggression waged by Russia against the neighboring state, as well as the increase in the strategic importance of the Black Sea,” highlights the MAE.

More than 75 high-level representatives from more than 25 states, current and former officials, renowned experts and analysts, opinion leaders, will participate in the Bucharest meeting to address topics of major interest on the regional, European and Euro-Atlantic agenda.

Romania’s hosting of the Munich Leaders Meeting „reconfirms the active profile of our country at the international level in terms of foreign policy and security, as well as the recognition of the active role that our country plays at the regional, European and transatlantic level, including in the context the illegal war waged by Russia against Ukraine”, points out the MAE.

MLM Bucharest is organized ahead the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, that Minister Bogdan Aurescu will host in Bucharest on November 29 and 30. Thus, this event will also have the role of a debate platform for steering the discussions within the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, including those regarding the security of the Black Sea, the implementation of the decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid and the implementation of the New Strategic Concept.

„We are honoured that Romania will host such an important event, under the Munich Security Conference format, especially at a critical moment for regional and Euro-Atlantic security. Russia’s war against Ukraine has significantly changed the security balance in our neighbourhood, including in the Black Sea region, which has an impact on European and Euro-Atlantic security as a whole. These unprecedented security challenges for the entire Euro-Atlantic community underline the constant need to remain united and vigilant. We must be well prepared for any scenario. On the other hand, this crisis has generated a renewed ambition of the Euro-Atlantic community, which is more determined than ever to defend and consolidate democracy, by all available means,” Minister Aurescu said.

The interactive MLM debates are conducted behind closed doors, under the Chatham House Rule. The MLM Bucharest meeting is organized in preparation for the Munich Security Conference in February 2023, one year after the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Munich Security Conference is an annual high-level event focused on international security policies. Initiated in 1963, the conference has become in the last decades the most important independent forum for debate and exchange of views between decision-makers of the highest level, first-rank personalities in the field of international relations and global affairs, respectively from academic circles. Not only the very large number of high-ranking participants, but also the topics addressed turned the conference into an important moment worldwide. Every year, the meeting provides an important platform for European leaders to interact with high-level representatives from the United States of America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Agerpres