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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, will participate on Tuesday and Wednesday in the informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States (in Gymnich format), which will take place in Prague, within the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to AGERPRES reads.
Regarding the granting of visas for Russian citizens travelling to the EU, the Romanian Foreign Minister will support the suspension of the EU-Russia Agreement on the facilitation of visa granting, respectively will express the openness for the adoption of measures to restrict the movement of Russian citizens, with reference to visas for tourism purposes, the source adds.
The Romanian chief diplomat will reiterate the need for the EU and the member states to continue providing a consistent support for Ukraine and will highlight Romania's contribution to these efforts, at the political, economic, humanitarian level, the ministry says.
He will inform, in the context, about the developments in the support that Romania is providing to Ukraine, including on the facilitation of grain exports from Ukraine through the Romanian ports.
In reference to the consequences on the countries in the region, the Romanian official will resume the arguments in favor of the strong EU support for the Republic of Moldova, a country deeply affected by the situation in Ukraine. It will show that it is essential to increase the resilience of the Eastern partners, including through measures such as those through the European Peace Facility.
As regards the implications of aggression against Ukraine on the EU's approach to relations with Russia, Minister Aurescu will show that any reflection on the future of EU-Russia relations must take into account the developments in Ukraine, with a focus on the need to reduce dependencies on Russia and to ensure coherence between NATO and EU approaches regarding the relationship with the Russian Federation.
On the sidelines of the European ministers' meeting, an informal working meeting will be held, which will be attended by the foreign ministers from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
During the discussions, Minister Bogdan Aurescu will mention the great importance of the decision of the European Council of June 2022, both for the three associated states and for the EU, and will express his support for the implementation of the necessary reforms included in the Commission's opinions on each of the three states, including by capitalizing on the instruments within the Eastern Partnership, which, in turn, it requires a new approach, adapted to the new reality in the EU neighbourhood.
The discussion on EU-Africa relations takes place six months after the EU-African Union Summit (February 2022, Brussels), in the context of the intensification of the challenges faced by the states on the African continent, following the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, with a focus on the food crisis generated by Russia's conduct. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will express his support for the objectives of EU cooperation with African states and will mention the priorities of our country regarding the EU's relations with this continent.
AGERPRES
