The security situation in the region and the management of the impact of the war in Ukraine were topics of Tuesday’s meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, according to a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to Agerpres.

The two officials noted with satisfaction the sustained pace of bilateral political contacts over the past year and the deepening of cooperation between the two states.

Minister Aurescu welcomed the recent creation of a Friendship Group with Romania in the Canadian Parliament and appreciated the substantial support provided by Canada for the security of NATO’s Eastern Flank, especially for the Canadian air policing mission, which is completing its latest rotation these days in Romania.

Aurescu conveyed our country’s interest in continuing the successful collaboration developed with Canada in the field of defense, inviting the Canadian armed forces to continue to strengthen their presence in Romania.

Another topic addressed during the meeting concerned bilateral cooperation in the field of energy security, the role played by successful bilateral cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy being emphasized.

The two officials analyzed global developments, with an emphasis on the relationship with China, with Minister Joly presenting Canada’s new strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, which he has just launched.

Bogdan Aurescu and Melanie Joly agreed to continue exploring options for deepening bilateral collaboration, in line with the Joint Declaration signed on March 7, 2022 in Bucharest on the occasion of the visit of the Canadian minister to Romania, including through a visit of the Romanian minister to Ottawa in the near future for the adoption of the Joint Declaration on raising the level of the bilateral relationship to the Consolidated Partnership level.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the meeting of foreign ministers from NATO member states and before the participation of the two officials in the first G7+ meeting that takes place in Romania.

Agerpres