ForMin Odobescu speaks about situation in Israel, Gaza, supporting Ukraine, at Foreign Affairs Council
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, participated, on Monday, in the meeting of the heads of diplomacy from the member states of the European Union - the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which took place in Brussels, in which context she spoke about the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip and about supporting Ukraine, told Agerpres.
Regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza, the Romanian minister reiterated her condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas, as well as her firm support for Israel's right to self-defense, in line with international humanitarian law, reports a press release sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).
Also, Minister Odobescu expressed his regret for the large number of civilian victims and for the worsening of the humanitarian situation. She also underlined support for efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and welcomed the adoption of the EU declaration on November 12 on daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza, which is a sign of EU unity.
The Romanian official informed about the evacuations from Gaza of Romanian citizens who wanted to leave this region and their families, emphasizing the importance of consular coordination. He also pleaded for the continuation of coordination within the EU, at the regional and global level, especially with the USA, with the objective of preventing the expansion of the conflict in the region. Minister Odobescu highlighted the importance of the EU getting involved in restoring the political horizon for resolving the crisis and returning to the two-state solution, the only guarantee for security and stability in the region.
Luminita Odobescu showed that, "in the context in which Russia is preparing for a long-term war, the EU must confirm that it firmly supports Ukraine as long as it will be necessary", and in this sense it is necessary to complete a comprehensive package for Ukraine, to be adopted on the occasion of the European Council in December 2023.
This package should include macro-financial support to support Ukraine, including under the European Peace Facility/EPF, new sanctions against Russia, the adoption of EU security commitments in support of Ukraine, as well as leaders' agreement to open accession negotiations for Ukraine and Republic of Moldova to the EU. In this context, the Romanian minister welcomed the European Commission's recommendation addressed to the EU Council to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the positive assessment regarding the decisive progress achieved on the path of reforms by the two states, included in the 2023 EU Enlargement Package At the same time, Odobescu highlighted the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts to mobilize global support for the Peace Formula.
As to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, Minister Luminita Odobescu mentioned the recent contacts the Romanian side had both with Armenia (political consultations with the deputy foreign minister in Bucharest, October 30) and with Azerbaijan (the visit of the Azerbaijani foreign minister to Bucharest, November 6). She presented to her European counterparts the main conclusions resulting from these high-level discussions, highlighting the commitment expressed by both sides for involvement in the peace process. The Romanian minister expressed support for EU support measures for Armenia, in humanitarian, political and economic terms. At the same time, she pleaded in favor of a balanced and constructive approach of the EU, in order to protect its role as a mediator, through the efforts of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the cited source informs.
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