Romania fully supports the priorities set by Malta for its six-month term of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Met dank overgenomen van Maltees voorzitterschap Europese Unie 1e helft 2017 (EU2017MT) i, gepubliceerd op vrijdag 2 december 2016.

02.12.2016

Romania fully supports the priorities set by Malta for its six-month term of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Malta and Romania have

continuously shared

sound relations and in

this respect both

Ministers agreed that the

respective forthcoming

EU Presidencies of both

countries could provide

another perspective for

the further development

and extension of these

ties

Minister for Foreign Affairs, George W. Vella today met his Romanian counterpart Mr. Lazăr Comănescu. Minister Comănescu is on a two-day official visit to Malta as a follow-up to a visit Minister Vella had made to Bucharest earlier this year in March 2016.

The talks included an exchange of view on the EU’s Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood as well as the Mediterranean. Attention was also given to the migration situation with regard to both the Mediterranean and Western Balkans route. This issue, Minister Vella said, will remain a central theme of the Malta 2017 Presidency. The situation in Syria and its effects on the broader region, together with importance of seeking solutions to counter the ongoing challenges posed by terrorism were also discussed at length during the meeting. The two Ministers also discussed Brexit, and while acknowledging that there might be difficult negotiations both agreed that the Maltese Presidency would not allow it to derail focus on other important EU issues such as the digital single market and social inclusion.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1968, Malta and Romania have continuously shared sound relations and in this respect both Ministers agreed that the respective forthcoming EU Presidencies of both countries, Malta in the first half of 2017 and Romania in the first half of 2019, could provide another perspective for the further development and extension of these ties to the mutual benefit and common goals of both countries.

Following the meeting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Cooperation between the Romanian Diplomatic Institute and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies was signed by the two Ministers.

During a joint press conference held after the signing of the MoU, Minister Comănescu stated that his country fully supports the priorities set by Malta during its six-month term of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Minister Comănescu was accompanied by the Secretary of State for European Affairs, of Romania Mr. Christian Badescu.

Photo - DOI - Reuben Piscopo

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