June 9, 2014 UPDATE
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România Internațional, 09.06.2014, 19:12
The political and economic cooperation between Romania and Belgium, as well as current international issues, will be discussed on Tuesday by the Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, with the Belgian deputy PM and minister of commerce and European affairs, Didier Reynders. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, special attention will be paid to the international developments further to the recent EP election, the situation in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and the situation in the Balkans. The two officials will also discuss international matters such as the NATO Summit scheduled for September, the developments in Syria and the Middle East peace process.
Russia’s representative to the EU Monday criticised the suspension of South Stream construction works by Bulgaria. Moscow believes the measure was imposed on Bulgaria by the EU, as part of the economic sanctions against Russia further to the crisis in Ukraine. On Saturday, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski, ordered that construction works on the South Stream gas pipeline be suspended until the procedure is synchronised with Brussels. South Stream is designed to carry Russian natural gas to western Europe, via Bulgaria, and by-passing Ukraine.
The Republic of Moldova is interested in maintaining trade and economic cooperation with Russia after June the 27th, when it is scheduled to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, Moldova’s Deputy PM, Valeriu Lazar said. The statement precedes a two-day visit that the Russian deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, is to make to Chisinau on Monday. Moscow has repeatedly warned that Moldova’s signing the EU Association Agreement would force Russia to revise its relations with that country.
In Geneva, Switzerland, bilateral talks are held by Iran and the US, concerning Tehran’s nuclear file, France Presse announced. It is the first official meeting of the Iranian and American officials, outside the six-party negotiations that include representatives of the US, Russia, China, France, UK and Germany. The talks are designed to prepare the forthcoming negotiation session of June 16th to 20th, in Vienna, when the parties hope to start drafting a global agreement to be signed by July 20th. The Iranian chief-negotiator said the separate talks with the US are necessary, as the negotiations have entered an advanced stage and most of the sanctions against Iran were imposed by Washington.
