Turkey is Romania’s main trade partner from outside of the European Union and the first extra-community destination for Romanian exports, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday, after the meeting with Vice President of the Republic of Turkey Cevdet Yilmaz.
He pointed out that the talks with the Turkish official also focused on the current security context, the optimal cooperation modalities on a bilateral level as well as allies within NATO.
„We have had an extremely constructive discussion that confirmed the excellent stage of the bilateral strategic partnership. We are planning to focus on strengthening dialogue both on a political level and particularly on an economic level, so much the more as the Turkish – Tartar minority in Romania has a specially important role in consolidating our relations, as a long-lasting bridge between the two countries and peoples. Politics-wise, we have discussed the perspective of launching the high-level strategic cooperation council between Romania and Turkey, which will in fact follow the format of joint government meetings. Therefore we’ll be able to decide key priorities in the strategic areas of interest for both countries,” Ciolacu told a joint press statement with the Turkish VP at the Victoria Governmental Palace.
The Romanian PM stressed that the economic cooperation development represents one of the base pillars of the relations between the two countries.
„I welcomed the solid growth in the bilateral trade over the recent years. Turkey is Romania’s main trade partner outside the European Union and the first destination outside the EU for Romanian exports. We have very good figures for last year as well, when bilateral trade exceeded the threshold of 10 billion dollars. We wish this growing trend be further maintained,” the prime minister added.
Marcel Ciolacu mentioned the cooperation between the two states in the areas of energy, transports, agriculture, defence industry, food industry, manufacturing industry.
„At the same time, I believe it is a priority to act to encourage investments in the Romanian economy. We already have collaboration projects with Turkish entrepreneurs, in various implementation stages. Among these, I would mention the natural gas transmission pipeline Black Sea – Podisor, a strategic project for Romania as well as for the entire region,” Ciolacu also showed.
He said that the discussions with the Turkish official also dealt with the current security context and the optimal cooperation modalities bilaterally and inside NATO, in order to ensure the security at the Black Sea and the good coordination on the eastern flank of the Alliance.
„I thanked Mr Vice President for Turkey’s participation in NATO air police missions on Romania’s territory, which significantly contributes to the steps to consolidate the allied deterrence and defence posture on NATO’s eastern flank. Moreover, I have underlined the importance of the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea Romania – Turkey – Bulgaria in the current security context, a concrete example of the manner in which we can cooperate to ensure security in the Black Sea region,” Ciolacu added.
Furthermore, Ciolacu pointed out that he talked with the Turkish VP about the security situation and the implications of the illegal and unprovoked war that Russia triggered against Ukraine.
„I have reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, but I have also spoke of the process of reconstructing Ukraine. In this context, we talked about the situation in the Republic of Moldova as well in the current context and I pleased for keeping a solid support for Chisinau’s efforts of resisting the hybrid pressures meant to induce disinformation among the population aimed at directly affecting its stability,” the prime minister added.
Romania believes that Turkey is a candidate country and a key-partner of the European Union, Ciolacu also said.
„Romania finds important the consolidation of cooperation between the European Union and Turkey in the interest sectoral areas,” he showed.
Moreover, the two officials voiced concern for the risk of the Middle East conflict extending on a regional level.
„I have reiterated the condemnation of the Iranian attack on Israel, as well as Romania’s support for the international initiatives aimed at solving the crisis in the Gaza Strip and unburdening the situation of the civilians in the enclave. In the same sense, I maintained the need of ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” the Romanian PM added.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed Republic of Turkey Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz at the Victoria Governmental Palace on Friday.
Cevdet Yilmaz, who is paying an official visit to Romania, was welcomed with military honours.
During the after-noon, Cevdet Yilmaz will be welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis.
AGERPRES
