ForMin Aurescu to pay official visit to Israel, Palestine

Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is scheduled to pay an official visit to Israel and Palestine today and tomorrow to meet with the prime ministers of the two countries and his counterparts.

According to Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE), Aurescu's schedule in Israel includes consultations with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabriel Ashkenazi, and meetings with President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Benjamin Gantz, Minister of Regional Co-operation Ofir Akunis, and the leader of the opposition and Yesh Atid-Telem party in the Knesset, Yair Lapid.

Discussions with Israeli officials will focus on ways to develop and deepen bilateral relations of a strategic nature between the two countries, with emphasis on politics, economy and security to the benefit of Romania and Israel.

At the same time, the officials will discuss in depth the latest developments in the region, especially the latest developments in the Middle East Peace Process.

In Palestine, the schedule includes consultations with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riad Malki, and meetings with Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Minister of Labour and Social Development Ahmed Majdalani.

Discussions will focus on the development and diversification of Romanian-Palestinian bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation as a concrete contribution to the institutional construction and development of Palestine.

The officials will approach the latest regional and security events, focusing on the prospects for the Middle East Peace Process.

"We are at an extremely dynamic time in terms of developments in the Middle East. We have had an open and in-depth dialogue in recent months with both my Israeli counterpart, Gabriel Ashkenazi, and my Palestinian counterpart, Riad Malki in agreement with the traditional position of Romania, which has friendly and trusting relations with both sides," Aurescu was quoted as saying in a statement.

According to him, his conversation with the Israeli counterpart will also include the start of preparations for a third joint meeting of the Romanian and Israeli national governments, "based on the excellent state of Romanian-Israeli relations, with strategic valences consolidated during the over seven decades of uninterrupted diplomatic ties."

"In Palestine, I will highlight the interest in continuing and deepening our co-operation, including in generating the necessary substance for the proper organisation of the next meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental committee," Aurescu said.

The Romanian minister says that both in Israel and in Palestine he will support "Romania's constant position in support of a lasting solution generated by the Peace Process based on the solution of two states coexisting in peace and security as the only viable option to meet the aspirations of both sides."