Jens Stoltenberg will arrive in Romania on Monday to lead a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member countries together with the Romanian foreign minister, news.ro notes.

Stoltenberg will be received by President Klaus Iohannis at Kotrochen Palace.

Foreign Minister Bohdan Aurescu sent a message on Sunday before the start of a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states, in which he spoke of “a strong spirit of unity and solidarity between allies.”

“I look forward to welcoming NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Bucharest tomorrow before we attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers for two days of intensive discussions and follow-up to the Madrid summit,” the foreign minister tweeted. . on Sunday.

Aurescu talked about 4 sessions and 4 partners who joined the discussions.

“Countless interactions, a strong spirit of unity and solidarity between allies,” Aurescu added.

Anthony Blinken comes to Bucharest

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bohdan Aurescu will hold political consultations with the Secretary of State of the United States of America Anthony Blinken at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the visit of a high-ranking American official to Romania as part of the participation in the meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states and in the context of the anniversary, in 2022, of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

Consultations between Minister Bohdan Aurescu and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will mark the anniversary of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership, which is an essential pillar of Romania’s foreign and security policy and the deepening of which in all dimensions is the goal of both sides.

The visit will provide an opportunity to once again confirm the firm bilateral commitment to strengthening cooperation in the promotion of projects of interest in the political, security, military, economic and energy spheres. Thus, during the discussions, Minister Aurescu and Secretary of State Blinken will review the state of bilateral cooperation in areas of interest, including based on the priorities established during Minister Aurescu’s visit to Washington in November 2021, such as increasing the US military presence in Romania, strengthening positions of NATO in the Black Sea region, the process of Romania’s accession to the OECD and the promotion of joint projects in the civil nuclear sphere.

The discussions will concern Ukraine

At the same time, Minister Bohdan Aurescu will confirm the interest of Romania, as a strategic partner of the USA, in recording concrete progress regarding our country’s accession to the visa-free regime program.

It will also address recent security developments focusing on the Black Sea region and security on NATO’s eastern flank as a result of Russian military aggression in Ukraine, as well as efforts by the transatlantic community to control its impact on regional security and global stability. .

Thus, the meeting of the two officials will also focus on bilateral coordination with regard to assistance to Ukraine and the implementation of decisions to strengthen deterrence and defense on NATO’s eastern flank, adopted during the Alliance summit in Madrid.

Discussions will also focus on regional security developments in the Black Sea, with both officials set to exchange views on future developments and their wider security implications for Europe and the world.