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Bilateral Meetings of Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu on the First Day of the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly.

Romania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Press release
09/19/23

Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu held a series of bilateral meetings on Monday, September 18, 2023 as part of the delegation of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for the UN General Assembly in New York. Thus, Minister Luminița Odobescu had meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of the United Arab Emirates, Mariam Almheiri, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Narayan Prakash Saud, the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, and Derek Chollet, Political Advisor to the US Department of State.

During the bilateral discussions, Minister Luminița Odobescu highlighted the very good level of relations with the respective countries, as well as the potential for strengthening sectoral cooperation. In her meetings with the dignitaries, the head of Romanian diplomacy also presented the security situation in the Black Sea region and near Romania's borders, as well as the support Romania offers to Ukraine, including facilitating the export of grain through the Danube and Black Sea ports.

During the meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, the two officials reviewed the state of political dialogue and underlined the importance of continuing efforts to deepen and diversify bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest, such as trade, education and IT. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed the interest and support of the Romanian authorities for the initiative taken by the Sri Lankan authorities to open the Sri Lankan Embassy in Bucharest, pointing out that this initiative will give a new impetus to the relationship in line with the real potential of cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting between the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of the United Arab Emirates, Mariam Almheiri, provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of views on projects of mutual interest, including climate change and climate change initiatives. The Romanian Minister showed great interest in these projects and wished the United Arab Emirates a successful organisation of COP28. The Head of the Romanian diplomacy appreciated the high level of bilateral dialogue and stressed the importance of maintaining the frequency of political-diplomatic contacts, which would support and encourage further steps to strengthen economic and sectoral cooperation, both at the institutional level and in the business environment.

During the bilateral meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, issues of common interest and ways to deepen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries were discussed. The head of Romanian diplomacy reiterated Romania's firm support for Georgia's European course and Romania's readiness to assist the Georgian authorities in their efforts to align with EU standards. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs reconfirmed Romania's firm support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

During their bilateral meeting with Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud, the two leaders underlined their interest in intensifying political dialogue. They also underlined their openness to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest, such as the labour market, trade and education. In this context, Minister Odobescu appreciated the contribution of Nepalese workers in Romania and expressed his condolences for the Nepalese citizen who died in the Crevedia accident.

The meeting with the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, provided an opportunity to exchange views on the main global issues and challenges on the UN agenda. In this context, Minister Luminița Odobescu mentioned Romania's contribution to addressing current global issues, as well as a number of issues of particular interest to our country. Among these, she highlighted the support for effective multilateralism and the rules-based international order, the promotion and respect of human rights, sustainable development and climate change, as well as support for the UN Secretary General's vision for the future of the organisation, as set out in Our Common Agenda.

The bilateral discussion with Derek Chollet, the US Department of State's policy advisor, focused on the latest security developments in the Black Sea and near Romania's borders in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The head of the Romanian diplomacy thanked the US for its solidarity shown and, in this context, she expressed her appreciation for the close constant cooperation between the allies. At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania presented the special efforts made by Romania in support of Ukraine, especially regarding the transit of Ukrainian grain through our country. The American official expressed his appreciation for Romania's efforts to ensure security and stability in the Black Sea, as well as for its cooperation in the European and Euro-Atlantic framework.