Romanian – Ukrainian Dialogue

From a territorial and demographic point of view, Ukraine is Romania’s largest neighbor. From a strategic point of view, analysts say, it is the most important, because hundreds of kilometers of common border separate not just two countries, but also NATO and the EU from the former Soviet space, which the new pro-Western power in Kiev is trying to escape.

Bogdan Matei, 11.03.2014, 13:34

From a territorial and demographic point of view, Ukraine is Romania’s largest neighbor. From a strategic point of view, analysts say, it is the most important, because hundreds of kilometers of common border separate not just two countries, but also NATO and the EU from the former Soviet space, which the new pro-Western power in Kiev is trying to escape.

That is why Bucharest has closely monitored past month’s developments in Kiev, from the protests that sparked off the ousting of the former pro-Russian president Viktor Ianukovici to the Russian troops’ invasion of Crimea. On Monday, upon welcoming his Romanian counterpart Titus Corlatean in Kiev, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Descita thanked him for Bucharest’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They signed an agreement on increasing security and confidence building between the two countries. Corlatean was also received by interim president Olexandr Turcinov and Prime Minister Arseni Iateniuk. The Romanian Foreign Minister told our correspondent to Kiev that the message he wanted to convey was that Romania fully supported Ukraine’s European aspirations.

“Ukraine needs a firm and well-coordinated support from the international democratic community, from the European and Euro-Atlantic family, therefore from Romania, too, for its territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and its legitimate right to decide its European future. We hope that through a natural and democratic domestic process, things will settle, and we will be able to take rapid action to boost bilateral cooperation, in fields such as energy security and investment in infrastructure.”

Corlatean also announced that some of the Ukrainian citizens hospitalized in Bucharest, after being wounded in last month’s street fighting in Kiev would be repatriated. He said that Romania’s support had also materialized in the participation of two observers in the OSCE mission to Crimea. The talks between Corlatean and Descita also focused on the situation of the Romanian community in Ukraine, which numbers over 400 thousand people. Bucharest’s stand on the matter is quite clear:

“ We are expecting a European type of legislation to be passed in the coming period, based on the expertise conducted by the Council of Europe and on consultations with the national minorities in Ukraine, the Romanian minority there.”

Ukraine’s stability and territorial integrity also depend on the way in which minority rights are observed, the Romanian Foreign Minister added.