On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu welcomed incoming Israeli ambassador to Romania Reuven Azar for the presentation of Azar’s letter of accreditation.

According to a press statement, writes Agerpres, released by the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), Aurescu mentioned an excellent dynamic in bilateral political and diplomatic and sectoral contacts, voicing interest in the further development of Romanian-Israeli relationships that are of a strategic nature.

Aurescu also emphasised the importance of organising the third meeting of the Romania-Israel Economic Working Group, under the coordination of the two foreign ministries, in preparation for the third joint meeting of the national governments of Romania and Israel.

At the same time, he pointed to Romania’s firm support for the consolidation of relations between Israel and the European Union, highlighting the efforts of Romania in favour of the EU-Israel Association Council resuming its works, which was agreed upon at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of July 18, 2022.

„Both the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu and incoming ambassador Reuven Azar highlighted the opportunity to intensify direct contacts between the two business communities at the central and local level, considering the added value they can bring to the bilateral relationship as a whole,” the ministry’s release reads.

For his part, Azar hailed the positive dynamics of bilateral sectoral co-operation, underscoring a desire for its development in areas of common interest such as agriculture, especially in the light of the role that Romania plays in the current regional geopolitical context to prevent a food crisis of global proportions.

„The ambassador expressed interest in attracting new Israeli investments in this sector in Romania, with an emphasis on water management, highly-performing monitoring and irrigation technologies, areas in which Israel has considerable expertise that it wishes to share with Romania. He also mentioned the opportunities for defence co-operation,” according to the release.

The two officials also discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral dialogue on the process of Romania’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) starting from the experience gained by Israel in the same process in the 2000s, according to MAE.

There was also an exchange of opinions on recent developments in the Black Sea region and in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the security state of play, the impact of current threats and the efforts of the two countries to promote peace and stability in their regions.

Aurescu concluded by voicing confidence that the tenure of the new ambassador will be marked by an upward dynamic of the bilateral dialogue, voicing full support for these objectives being met.

At the same time, the head of the Romanian diplomacy wished success to the new ambassador on his mission in Romania, assuring him of the full support of Romanian officials and MAE in his future activities.

Source: AGERPRES