• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu in the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers

Romania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Press release
09/24/24

Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu attended on Monday, September 23, 2024, the informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States. The event took place in New York, on the margins of the high-level week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

European foreign ministers had discussions on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the latest developments in the Middle East.

The new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, was invited to the meeting, where he presented the current situation and called for increased efforts to support Ukraine, particularly at the military level, in order to counter Russian aggression. He also provided information on the reforms undertaken by the Ukrainian government and underlined the commitment to advance the accession negotiations with the European Union as soon as possible.

Commenting on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminita Odobescu underlined the security risks posed by the repeated attacks on the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure, which are evidence of an irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation. She condemned the violation of Romanian airspace and the attack by Russian forces on a merchant ship transporting grain in the Black Sea, showing that these developments threaten European security and constitute another flagrant violation of international law.

The Romanian official stressed that, in these circumstances, it is essential that the EU continues to support Ukraine, at all levels, especially the military one.

Minister Luminița Odobescu also stressed the importance of raising global awareness of the risks posed by the intensification of Russia's hybrid threats, which affect both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the states of the South Caucasus. In this regard, she reiterated the need for the EU to adopt a new sanctions regime against Russia's destabilizing actions.

The head of Romanian diplomacy stressed that a just and lasting peace in Europe can only be based on the UN Charter and international law, and in this regard expressed the support for the Peace Formula proposed by President Zelenskiy.

With regard to the situation in the Middle East, the Romanian Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed her concern about the increasing volatility of the security situation in the region, both in Gaza and on the border between Israel and Lebanon, and reiterated the call for restraint on the part of all parties involved. She stressed that the priority for the international community at the moment must be to prevent war in the region.

In this context, Minister Luminița Odobescu appreciated the mediation efforts of the US, supported by Egypt, and Qatar, aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, releasing all hostages and improving the humanitarian situation.