In Brussels, ForMin Melescanu highlights importance of NATO continuing support for Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova

At a working dinner of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday, part of a NATO summit meeting there, Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu highlighted the importance of NATO continuing its support for its eastern partners - Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

According to a press statement released by Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE), the head of the Romanian diplomacy took part in a working dinner of the NATO foreign ministers with their counterparts from Jordan, Tunisia and Iraq, as well as the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.

"The ministers discussed the recent security developments in the southern neighborhood of the alliance as well as NATO's contribution to the stability of the area, in collaboration with both the three partners present at the meeting as well as with the other Mediterranean Dialogue countries, the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative, as well as with EU and regional organisations. The Romanian foreign minister expressed Romania's support for the Jordanian and Tunisian defence capacity building assistance packages decided at the summit as well as the launch of a NATO training mission in Iraq. At the same, he highlighted the importance of NATO continuing its support for the eastern partners - Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova," according to MAE.

MAE also mentions that on Thursday Melescanu attended a ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Special Representative Brett McGurk.

In their conversations, the coalition members confirmed the military victory against Daesh, while stressing the importance of Iraq's stabilisation and the support the coalition can provided for the NATO mission in Iraq.

The Romanian minister stressed the need to support the economic and social development of Iraq as well as the consolidation of the state bodies in order to avoid the re-emergence of the causes that facilitated the development of Daesh. He also underscored Romania's contribution toward the coalition's training activities and the country's intention to participate in the new NATO mission in Iraq.

MAE points out that ion the side-lines of the summit, Melescanu had a bilateral meeting with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok.

"Discussions focused on the priority agenda of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, as well as opportunities for the development of the political dialogue and bilateral economic co-operation," according to MAE.