National coordinator of Romania's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Secretary of State Luca Niculescu, participated over July 11 - 12 in the 18th edition of the Dubrovnik Forum titled "Channelling the Change", organized by the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a release
The Dubrovnik Forum facilitated, through working sessions, an international dialogue on current issues, in the context of a volatile global climate, geopolitical changes and conflict zones in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The debates covered the transatlantic partnership, international trade relations, the security and European integration of the Western Balkans, the role of artificial intelligence in increasing competitiveness and in the European defense policy, as well as cooperation prospects under the Three Seas Initiative, agerpres reports.
The event's program also included a segment dedicated to the OECD enlargement process, with the participation of OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann, on the benefits of Organization membership. At the session titled "OECD Dubrovnik Talks", Romania's national coordinator participated in an exchange of experiences, best practices and lessons learned during the accession process, together with representatives of the OECD candidate states.
In this context, the Romanian official's intervention focused on the importance of publicly communicating the benefits of accession, as well as on cross-party support for this strategic national goal - highlighting the role of the OECD Joint Parliamentary Committee in facilitating the alignment of national policies, practices and law with the Organization's standards. Also, the national coordinator highlighted Romania's contribution to the achievement of OECD's external priorities, including in the South-Eastern European region, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
On the sidelines of the event, the Romanian Secretary of State had bilateral talks with representatives of OECD member and candidate states, as well as with senior officials of the Organization, with focus on the stage of the accession process and the prospects for advancing it. In this context, the national coordinator reiterated Romania's firm commitment to the accession goal.
Also on July 12, the second ministerial meeting in the Ukraine - South-Eastern Europe format, initiated in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, took place in Dubrovnik. The meeting facilitated coordination between the states in the region on aspects such as the security agenda, the EU accession process and connectivity.
The participating states adopted a joint statement reiterating the signatories' unequivocal support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, support for Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership, reaffirmed the need to hold Russia accountable under international law for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations of international humanitarian law, and to maintain and strengthen sanctions against Russia, particularly in the banking and energy sectors.
The Dubrovnik Forum, now at its 18th edition, is a landmark event in South-Eastern Europe, facilitating debates on current issues and contributing to the launch of important initiatives for this region.
The event's program included 16 thematic working sessions, which tackled the transatlantic partnership, global trade relations, the development of the African continent, economic ties between the Asian and European continents, as well as a segment dedicated to the OECD enlargement process, entitled "OECD Dubrovnik Talks" and organized periodically within the various editions of the Forum.
Comentează