On Sunday Romanian PM Teodor Melescanu took part in an inter-ministerial meeting in London where he discusses European and international security. He participated in the meeting alongside foreign ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, at the invitation of British foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) said that the agenda of the meeting included talks on current topics regarding European and international security, such as the stage of implementation of the solutions presented at the NATO Summit in Warsaw and the security issues affecting the Western Balkans and the Black Sea as well as Iran’s nuclear file and the current state of affairs in the Korean Peninsula.
Melescanu stressed the importance of the strategic partnership with the United Kingdom, the high degree of convergence between Romania’s foreign policy and security stances and that of the UK, which has one of the most important military presences in the Black Sea region. “There was general support for furthering the EU-NATO relation, to endure European security, of the joint management of security threats on the Eastern flank and strengthening the resilience of states in the region,” the MAE said in a statement.
Moreover, the Romanian minister stressed the interest of the Romanian side to further develop its strategic partnership with the UK, in compliance with the goal of maintaining European unity and the EU’s future ambitions to strengthen security and defence mechanisms.
“Our departure from the EU will make no difference to Britain’s unconditional and immovable commitment to the security and defence of Europe,” Boris Johnson said at the meeting, according to the website of the Foreign&Commonwealth Office. “This meeting was a further demonstration that the UK is a vital partner in the security of our continent,” he added.
According to the MAE, the meeting did not include Brexit talks, because EU states have given a mandate to chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.