Romanian minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, had on Monday bilateral political consultations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, on the occasion of his official visit to Vilnius, the main objective of the discussions being identifying new ways of developing and deepening the excellent relations between Romania and Lithuania, write Agerpres.
According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry (MAE), the two ministers welcomed the evolution of bilateral relations, characterized by a constant dialogue and based on similar positions in matters of security, European affairs, as well as common interests within regional formats.
„The Romanian official made a review of our country’s sustained efforts to join the Schengen Area, presented the current stage of the process and expressed appreciation for the support of the Republic of Lithuania for this goal. The Lithuanian official reconfirmed his country’s active support for the achievement of this objective”, the press release informs.
According to the MAE, a central topic of the discussions was countering the effects of the war started by Russia against Ukraine.
„The two ministers firmly condemned the actions of the Russian Federation and evaluated the prospects of this conflict. Minister Bogdan Aurescu presented the consistent multidimensional support provided by Romania to Ukraine. At the same time, the methods of involvement in the future reconstruction process were discussed”, the cited source states.
As to the impact of the war on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the priorities pursued by Romania at the Alliance Summit to be organized by Lithuania in July 2023, underlining the importance of implementing all allied decisions taken in Madrid to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense.
At the same time, the impact of the war on other states in the region was evaluated, with an emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, a context in which the head of Romanian diplomacy emphasized the need to strengthen the resilience and security of this state, including in the context of Russia’s destabilizing actions.
„The two officials reconfirmed their active support for the enlargement process of the European Union, including for the Eastern partners, this being the only solid option for long-term peace, stability and prosperity”, according to the press release.
The discussions also provided an opportunity for an exchange of opinions on cooperation within regional formats such as the Three Big Initiative, a context in which the Romanian official informed his Lithuanian counterpart about Romania’s priorities as the organizing country of the 2023 Initiative Summit and highlighted the format’s potential for strengthening connectivity and regional security. AGERPRES
