Romania, Ukraine and Moldova signed cooperation agreements in Bucharest after a trilateral meeting on strengthening security in the Black Sea region to counter threats caused by Russian aggression.
The Black Sea Security Conference brought together the foreign and defense ministers of the three neighboring countries, government officials and international partners.
Conference participants explored the broad implications of the Russian war in Ukraine for the region.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu called Russia “the most direct and serious threat” to the Black Sea region and NATO, saying war-torn Ukraine and difficult times of Moldova “are of great importance for our future European security”.
“Instead of peace and stability, the Black Sea region has become the main target of Russian aggression,” he said, adding that a strong NATO presence in the region ” is simply necessary”.
After the signing of agreements aimed at strengthening political, economic and security cooperation between the three countries, Aurescu said that this “confirms the fact that we have similar points of view”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking at the Bucharest video conference, called the war a “bleeding wound in the center of Europe” and called for a safety net for the countries of the region who “feel threatened by a maniac on the loose”.
“The time has come to transform the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become – the NATO Sea,” Kuleba said, referring to Finland’s recent entry into NATO. He also called for a “decisive step forward” towards Ukraine’s NATO membership, which worries Western officials.
After signing the Tripartite Declaration, Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said Moldova remained the target of “hybrid attempts to destabilize our country”.
According to him, the consequences of the war led by Moscow “feel every citizen” of Moldova, which is not part of NATO.
Moldova, which has faced a series of crises over the past year, including alleged destabilization plans backed by Russia, was granted EU candidate status last June, the same day as Ukraine.
In addition to discussing security issues, the Black Sea Security Conference, held on April 12-13, addressed topics such as free trade and facilitation of transport routes from energy.
Officials also discussed the importance of countering Russian efforts in cyberspace. Romanian Minister Aurescu said that Moscow “is organizing attacks against the region, against European and allied states”.
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