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Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu welcomed, on Tuesday, the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, and they discussed, among other topics, about the Three Seas Initiative and about the case of Aleksei Navalnii, informs a press release to the MAE, sent to AGERPRES.
As regards the Three Seas Initiative, officials considered "the role of this platform in strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the European Union and the United States of America, essential for the security and prosperity of the two shores of the Atlantic," the MAE release shows.
Minister Aurescu presented the in-depth cooperation between Romania and Poland within the Three Seas Initiative, as evidenced by recent discussions with his Warsaw counterpart, Zbigniew Rau, with an emphasis on the common Romanian-Polish interest and commitment to implementing priority interconnection projects, in particular the Rail2Sea projects (the modernization and development of the railway corridor between the Polish port of Gdansk and the Port of Constanta) and the Via Carpathia road project. At the same time, Aurescu pointed out that the Initiative must continue to deliver concrete results and maintain its strategic orientation.
According to the MAE, the US Ambassador, in his turn, expressed support for the carrying out of strategic interconnection projects on the north-south axis of the Initiative, including Rail2Sea and Via Carpathia.
Bogdan Aurescu also highlighted the main conclusions of the official visit to Israel and Palestine on September 2 and 3, especially with regard to the stage of the Middle East Peace Process.
He conveyed to the US ambassador that Romania appreciates the role of the United States in the process of normalizing relations in the region, referring to recent developments between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, respectively. The head of the Romanian diplomacy highlighted that such initiatives contribute to the improvement of the climate of security and trust in the region, our country encouraging such progress.
Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania's support for a lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on international law and the two-state solution. According to the minister, Romania will continue to support, as indicated in the discussions held during the visit, both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as in Ramallah, the engagement of the two sides in a constructive dialogue, with a view to resuming the direct negotiations between the two parties aimed at identifying a lasting solution.
Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman conveyed the US appreciation for Romania's efforts to support the Peace Process, as a state that traditionally has a balanced approach and a good relationship with both parties involved in the conflict, the MAE release mentions.
Minister Bogdan Aurescu and Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman also exchanged assessments and positions on the case of Alexei Navalny, developments in the negotiation of the new START agreement, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and Belarus. The US Ambassador voiced his appreciation for the Romanian Government's constant position in supporting the democratic process and the civil society in Belarus, further shows the MAE release.
