Romania has played a vital role in fostering greater international cooperation in the Black Sea, working to create safe shipping lanes for the export of Ukrainian grain, partnering with Bulgaria and Türkiye to clear mines, and collaborating with the United States and other partners to combat foreign information manipulation in the area, U.S. Ambassador in Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec said on Thursday.

„We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with Romania in support of a secure and prosperous Black Sea region,” the diplomat said on the occasion of the International Black Sea Day.

According to the U.S. Embassy message, Kavalec appreciates the Black Sea as an area of critical geostrategic importance – a key sea lane for global trade, security, energy and humanitarian efforts.

„On International Black Sea Day, we reaffirm United States support for a Black Sea that is secure, prosperous, interconnected, and free from threats of military aggression, economic coercion, and malign influence, including those posed by Russia’s unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine,” she said.

At the same time, she brought to mind the United States engagement in the Black Sea region is based on deep ties of friendship, shared values, and recognition of its strategic importance.

„Together with Allies and partners in the region, we support efforts to reinforce the free flow of trade in the Black Sea, to develop new energy sources, and to protect the region’s rich cultural heritage. U.S. engagement in regional groupings – including the Bucharest Nine (B9), the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), and NATO – along with a persistent U.S. military presence at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base and in Deveselu, contribute to regional security, stability and prosperity,” Kavalec pointed out.

AGERPRES