Romanian top diplomat Adrian Cioroianu, who attended on Thursday, in Brussels, the last informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers from the NATO member states, ahead of the summit of the Alliance due in Bucharest over April 2 - 4, underscored that Romania is going to support the extension of the body with the three candidate states (Croatia, Albania and Macedonia), the granting of the MAP (the Plan for action for accession) to Georgia and Ukraine and the importance of the anti-missile shield for the security of the entire region.
According to the Romanian official, the main issue on the agenda of the informal meeting was represented in Brussels by the enlargement of the Alliance to be decided on the occasion of the Summit in Bucharest. There were also approached issues such as the future partnership with the states of the Western Balkans, the future of the relation between NATO and Georgia and Ukraine and also the Kosovo problem.
'I have used this opportunity to reiterate Romania's positions, which have been constantly supported of late, with such stances reflecting our interests within the Alliance and our relations with other partners,' the Romanian minister said. He added that Romania supports the extension of the Alliance with all the three candidate states, although such partnerships developed with NATO at regional level remain of the same importance. 'NATO needs to approach the Western Balkans from a larger perspective. Serbia does not have to be isolated, even if the latest developments related to the Kosovo file represent points of interest for us all,' Cioroianu underlined.
He also said Romania reiterated her wish to grant the MAP to Georgia and Ukraine. 'Kosovo represents a central element of the discussions today. I have explained our partners Romania is interested and decided to contribute to the stability and security of the region. Romania will continue to be part of commons efforts to ensure the peace. The NATO measures and the body's policy related to Kosovo, in terms of ensuring the security and peace in the area, must not be interpreted as recognition of Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence,' the Romanian top diplomat warned.
At the same time, Adrian Ciroianu voiced Romania's hope 'that very soon the sprit of the good relations between neighbours and flexibility will lead to the solving of the conflict between Skopje and Athens.'
Cioroianu briefly referred to the anti-missile shield, underlining that Romania considers it is very important to ensure the indivisibility of security between the NATO members.
(Source: Rompres)
