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President Klaus Iohannis participated on Friday, at the invitation of the US President Joseph R. Biden in close consultations with a number of allied leaders and of the European Union institutions on the worrying developments of the regional, European and Euro-Atlantic security generated by the massive deployment of Russian forces and equipment in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region, the Presidential Administration reported.
The talks were also attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.
According to the Presidential Administration, the conversation of European and transatlantic leaders took place at the end of an intense week of political-diplomatic efforts, aiming to defuse the tense situation on the borders of Ukraine and at the Black Sea, Agerpres.ro informs.
"The talks provided an opportunity for a wide-ranging exchange of views on the latest developments and prospects for managing the current security crisis. Assessments and conclusions were made following the recent dialogue with the Russian side, and the next steps to be considered, were analyzed, including the comprehensive response measures needed to increase security on the European continent and discourage the use of military force."
In his speech, President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the importance of close coordination and unity at this time and welcomed the decisions taken at the Allied level to strengthen the position of deterrence and defence on the Eastern Flank inclusively and especially at the Black Sea, as shown by the deployment of American troops in Romania these days or the decision of France regarding the sending of troops to Romania and the assumption of the role of a framework nation to the advanced military presence of NATO in Romania.
The head of state thanked the allied leaders and especially the presidents of the United States and France, the prime minister of Italy and the chancellor of Germany, for the solidarity shown for the security of Romania and its citizens, but also of the other allies on the Eastern Flank.
President Iohannis emphasized that ensuring a consolidated position of discouragement and defence, in a uniform and coherent manner on the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, contributes to regional stability as well as to the security of the Alliance as a whole, of all citizens of the allied states respectively.
The head of state expressed his firm support for the continuation of the political-diplomatic dialogue with Russia, in order to find solutions that would enable the de-escalation of the situation, without compromising the fundamental principles of the Alliance and international law.
He also stressed the importance of the preparation and the coordination among transatlantic partners in terms of the robust package of sanctions to be adopted against Russia if de-escalation measures fail.
