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ForMin Comanescu meets Cypriot counterpart Kasoulides, discusses latest developments in EU's eastern neighbourhood
Romania's Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on Tuesday welcomed visiting Foreign Minister of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides for consultations, with the two ministers highlighting the excellent bilateral relationships between Romania and Cyprus underpinned by dynamic cooperation at various levels, especially the economic level, since Cyprus is the fourth largest foreign investor in Romania.
According to Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), during the meeting the officials underscored the importance of the two countries capitalising on the existing cooperation potentials, both in terms of political dialogue, and in terms of sectorial cooperation, including by completing bilateral legal frameworks in various fields — energy, defence and home affairs.
Comanescu underscored the catalytic role to the bilateral relationship of a sizeable Romanian community of Cyprus.
''The Romanian official extended thanks to his Cypriote counterpart for positive attitude and support from the Cypriot Government to the Romanian nationals in Cyprus to get integrated with the local labour market and also to preserve their cultural, linguistic and spiritual identity, pointing to the importance of interpersonal relations to the consolidation of the relationship between Romania and Cyprus,'' MAE says in a press statement.
It says also discussed were items on the European and regional agenda, with Comanescu underscoring the importance of a comprehensive approach of migration and the fight against terror, mentioning Romania's special contribution to making sure the EU external borders are secure.
''The two ministers underscored the need for coordinated responses at a European level, which absence provides opportunities for the development of Eurosceptic, xenophobic and populist currents and attitudes in the member states of the EU. The two officials also discussed the latest developments in the EU's eastern neighbourhood, particularly in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the dynamics in the relationships between EU and Russia, emphasising the need for the provisions in the Minsk Accord being fully implemented,'' says MAE.
The two officials reviewed prospects for the resolution of the Cypriot file, with Comanescu congratulating the Cypriot state officials on their efforts deployed for negotiations and voicing hope they will end in a solution accepted by both sides by the end of the year. Excellent cooperation between Romania and Cyprus for candidatures in the United Nations system was also mentioned.
Kasoulides invited Comanescu to pay a visit Nicosia in the near future, which Comanescu accepted, says MAE.
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Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday welcomed at the Victoria Palace Republic of Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, who is paying an official visit to Romania, informs a Government release.
According to the release, the two officials hailed "the traditional friendly relations between Romania and Cyprus, at state and government level, and underscored the need to consolidate them through a steady cooperation, both on bilateral and EU level, and on foreign level."
Moreover, during the meeting they also discussed cooperation in the energy area "from the perspective of the development potential, through the establishment of the general cooperation framework and the creation of favourable conditions for promoting energy efficiency, energy and renewable sources preservation."
"With regard to the perspective of exploring natural gas and capitalising on the gas deposits discovered in the Republic of Cyprus exclusive economic zone, the Prime Minister reiterated Romania's availability to support the training of specialists in this area," the cited release also reads.