President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that 2023 will be an important year for the revival of Romania’s relationships with traditional friends and partners in South and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

„2023 will mark the promotion of Romania’s relationships with Japan to a higher level of a strategic partnership. We will continue to expand our relationships with South Korea, marking the 15th anniversary of a strategic partnership; we will work to strengthen our extended partnership with India, as well as the relationship with Vietnam. After 75 years of uninterrupted relationships with the State of Israel, we will work together to provide even more consistency to our bilateral co-operation of a strategic nature. We intend to intensify the series of high-level contacts with the Arab Gulf States, with Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Maghreb, as well as with the sub-Saharan African countries, which will lead to a restart of Romania’s presence in Africa. It is time to adopt a new approach of this crucial continent for the future of humanity, including under a new Romanian strategy for Africa. At the same time, we want to send a strong signal to our Latin American and Caribbean partners and friends regarding Romania’s decision to contribute to deepening political dialogue and bilateral co-operation,” Iohannis told an annual meeting with heads of accredited diplomatic missions in Romania.

He added that the international environment is undergoing a deep change, and in 2023 global action becomes even more relevant.

„International co-operation is the best way to manage the challenges of the moment, such as energy, food, economic or climate crises, in the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility. Isolation cannot be the solution. We need an open and honest dialogue with our partners on other continents, to understand their concerns and to jointly identify courses of action. Global problems are solved through global actions. Equally, we need a consolidation of economic relationships and investment,” said Iohannis.

Agerpres