ForMin Melescanu welcomes Cypriot senior official to discuss economic, sectoral co-operation

Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Thursday welcomed senior official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Minas Hadjimichael, highlighting the excellent level of the bilateral relationship and agreeing on consolidating it through a mechanism for regular consultations at the level of the two ministries. 

According to a press statement released by Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE), the two dignitaries emphasised the interest in intensifying the political and diplomatic dialogue through high-level contacts in the period immediately ahead, as well as economic and sectoral co-operation. There was also an exchange of views on recent developments in the Cypriot file, with Melescanu presenting Romania's priorities as the future holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union. 

The Cypriot dignitary also consulted with MAE's senior official in charge with bilateral and strategic affairs in the Euro-Atlantic area George Ciamba, reviewing the main items on the bilateral agenda, items included in the European agenda, as well as aspects of international and regional co-operation , including in terms of energy security. 

Ciamba welcomed the presence of the Cypriot dignitary in Bucharest, voicing the desire of the Romanian side to deepen bilateral co-operation and secure a pace of political consultations on subjects of common interest given the similarity of opinions on a number of European, regional and international files. He added that the incoming Romanian presidency of the EU Council creates favourable premises for the development of the bilateral dialogue. 

He welcomed the level of the economic ties between Romania and Cyprus, voicing interest in strengthening the rising trend in trade, while also proposing deepening sectoral co-operation with emphasis on energy, defence, and emergency situations, together with the identification of other areas that can offer a potential for co-operation that is still untapped or insufficiently capitalised on. 

Ciamba showed appreciation to his Cypriot counterpart for the constant support given by Cypriot officials to the Romanian community in Cyprus, which represents a real bridge between the two countries. 

"The two officials also addressed current items on the European agenda in terms of Romania's assumption of the Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, thus highlighting Romania's firm commitment to consolidating the European project, mentioning the need for European Union convergence and solidarity and a common response to the internal and external challenges currently facing the European Union." 

Related to Brexit, Ciamba also reiterated the great importance that Romania attaches to the issue of mobility and observance for the principles of reciprocity and non-discrimination between EU member states, and the need for an in-depth EU-UK partnership to create the widest possible co-operation framework in areas of common interest, such as security, defence and foreign policy. 

Regarding the management of the migration crisis, the Romanian side has shown that it is "fully aware of the need for solidarity to manage the flows of illegal migrants, stressing its willingness to contribute to defining the forms of contribution to this principle, including by ensuring the highest standards for the protection of the external borders of the European Union." 

Ciamba referenced the external priorities of the Romania Presidency of the EU Council and the attention that will be given to the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership, as regions in the immediate vicinity of direct interest to Romania. 

"With regard to the Cypriot file, the meeting of the two officials gave the Cypriot official an opportunity to present the latest developments in the process with the aim of reunifying the island, as well as in the prospects of resuming the negotiations in the next period. The Romanian side expressed its support for the efforts to reunify Cyprus in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and expressed hope that they will lead to the settlement of this file to the benefit of all Cypriots and the region." 

The officials also discussed energy security, highlighting the importance of maintaining a constant dialogue, as well as a willingness to exchange experience in areas related to energy security with similar regions, such as the Eastern Mediterranean region. 

Part of the visit of the Cypriot official to Bucharest was also the the signing of a memorandum of understanding on energy co-operation.