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On Thursday, President Klaus Iohannis welcomed Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, and Foreign Minister of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accompanied by Foreign Minister of Romania Bogdan Aurescu, as part of their attendance of a Romania-Poland-Turkey three-way security conference, hosted by Romania.
According to a press statement released by the Presidential Administration, discussions focused on the main ways of co-operation in this format, with emphasis on the security developments in the Eastern Neighbourhood of NATO, advancing the regional security agenda and preparations for the NATO summit this year, agerpres.ro confirms.
"President Klaus Iohannis highlighted the important role of this trilateral format of dialogue, launched at Romania's initiative in 2012 in support of NATO's efforts to strengthen security on the Eastern Side of NATO from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, given that the three countries share a number of common interests in the field of security. President Klaus Iohannis highlighted Romania's concern, shared by the Polish and Turkish foreign ministers, with the worrying regional security situation caused by the unusual deployment of military forces to the illegally occupied Crimea and the eastern border of Ukraine, and he and the high ranking Polish and Turkish dignitaries looked into the circumstances of and prospects for detente," the release reads.
Iohannis stressed "the importance of strengthening the NATO posture of deterrence and defence on the eastern flank, increasing the resilience of NATO as an organisation, and its members, as well as the support extended to neighbouring partners."
"President Klaus Iohannis called for the continuation and diversification of multidimensional political consultations, as well as co-operation in this trilateral format, which has proved its worth over time. The President of Romania also encouraged the promotion of new trilateral co-operation projects in areas of mutual interest such as resilience, including by highlighting the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, on the basis of a substantial agenda to contribute to the consolidation of NATO. Thus, a strengthened interaction of the three allies in this format would become an instrument of coordination and joint action likely to strengthen regional security and the alliance as a whole. The President of Romania also welcomed the presence of the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Georgia at a special working session of the trilateral meeting in Bucharest, saying that this initiative unequivocally reaffirms the constant support of Romania, Poland and Turkey towards the partners from NATO's Eastern Neighbourhood," the Presidential Administration mentions.
The Presidential Administration also said that Iohannis underscored the need to continue NATO measures to strengthen deterrence and defence, thanking Poland and Turkey for their contribution to NATO's enhanced presence in the south of the eastern flank, of major importance in ensuring the security of the Black Sea, an integral part of NATO security.
"The President of Romania voiced hope that Romania, Poland and Turkey will continue their close co-operation and for year's NATO summit, a moment of major importance for reaffirming NATO solidarity and unity and commitment to the transatlantic relationship. President Iohannis also underscored the special importance of the incoming NATO summit to projecting a strategic vision of NATO for the next decade," reads the official statement.
