Romanian FM: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova “equally deserve” European family membership
Aurescu made the comment while speaking about the ongoing talks for ceasefire in Ukraine, adding in order for the Russian-Ukrainian talks to bring results, a ceasefire was necessary and calling on Russia to stop its military aggression against Ukraine and withdraw its troops. Photo: Denes Albert
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Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova deserve “European family membership” to an equal degree, Bogdan Aurescu, Romania's Foreign Minister, said before a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
Aurescu made the comment while speaking about the ongoing talks for ceasefire in Ukraine, adding in order for the Russian-Ukrainian talks to bring results, a ceasefire was necessary and calling on Russia to stop its military aggression against Ukraine and withdraw its troops.
We condemn the attack by Russia on civilians. Today we need to consider what we can do. In addition to supporting Ukraine, new sanctions must be adopted, but at the same time we must effectively combat Russian propaganda and disinformation during the war. More isolation of Russia is also needed,” the top Romanian diplomat said.
He also spoke about Moldova’s prospects for EU membership, pointing out that Romania supports Moldova's accession to the EU.
Not just Ukraine and Georgia. All three countries deserve the European family membership,” Aurescu concluded.
Georgia officially applied for EU membership on March 3, with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signing the country’s membership application.
Gaining European Union membership is a long and time-consuming process, Georgia's Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said on Monday following the EU Council’s decision to ask the European Commission to examine the applications for the membership submitted by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani commented on Sunday on Georgia’s European Union membership prospects, stressing the country must do its best and use the opportunity to receive EU candidate status.
Bogdan Aurescu, Romania's Foreign Minister, said he will ask his counterparts for more support for partner states, “especially the Republic of Moldova and Georgia”, as the official arrived at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has praised a “historic day” for Georgia with his signing of the country’s bid for European Union membership on Thursday, saying the move “continues the efforts of our ancestors, which was aimed at unification in a common European family.”
The Moldovan Government remains “in touch” with “our friends and colleagues” in Georgia and Ukraine as the three states proceed on their recent bids to join the European Union, Nicu Popescu, Moldova's Foreign Minister, said before a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
The Georgian Government will not take back its demand of withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from the country’s occupied territories, Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Parliament, said on Tuesday.
Romania supports Georgia's aspiration to become a member of the European Union, Răzvan Rotundu, the Romanian Ambassador to Georgia, said at a meeting with the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.
Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili, who is on her first official visit to Romania, is set to sign a declaration on the establishment of strategic relations with the country, Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, the Georgian ambassador to Romania, said on Tuesday.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday said his country remained “one of the most important supporters” for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, after signing a declaration on strategic partnership between the two countries with his Georgian counterpart Salome Zourabichvili in Bucharest.
Cooperation between Georgia and Romania, and relations with NATO and the European Union were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Romanian defence minister Vasile Dîncu.
Security environment and challenges in the Black Sea region were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Georgian defence minister Juansher Burchuladze and his Romanian counterpart Vasile Dîncu.