Security challenges at the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea

The cooperation between Romania, Turkey and Poland is a source of stability at the Blatic Sea and the Black Sea and consolidates NATO's response to current or emergent security challenges, said Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.

Roxana Vasile, 22.04.2021, 13:50

Romania is not threatened directly by the evolutions at the Black Sea, but the situation must be de-escalated. The statement was made by the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, who voiced concern at Russias largest troop build-up since 2014 at the Ukrainian border and inside the country and at the unusual Russian troop movement at the Black Sea, that alerted NATO, the United States and the European Union. “We want to identify the purpose of these maneuvers and the most appropriate measures to de-escalate the situation,” Aurescu said, pointing out that the developments at the Black Sea are affecting the Euro-Atlantic security. For this reason, the Romanian official went on to say, NATO calls for the withdrawal of these manifestations of force.

Proof of the fact that the situation is worrysome is the staging of the Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral in Bucharest, with the physical participation of the Polish and Turkish foreign ministers. Joining them for an extended meeting will be the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine. In other words, this is a regional mini-summit, with five foreign ministers, who will tackle regional security. “(…) arguments are the diplomats weapons and we must make sure that the situation does not reach the point where diplomacy can do nothing,” Aurescu said.

Ahead of the meeting, Aurescu participated in a video-conference dubbed Security Challenges from the Blatic Sea to the Black Sea. The Vision of Romania, Poland and Turkey, organised by think-thanks from the three NATO member states, which are connected through strong Strategic Prtnerships. This was a good occasion for the Romanian official to emphasize the Trilaterals added value in managing current security challenges and in consolidating NATOs deterrance and defense posture on the eastern flank.

The Romanian minister said that the present context is marked by worrying regional developments that affect the entire region, from the Black Sea to the Blatic Sea, manifesting mostly at Ukraines eatsern border and in the illegally occupied Crimea. That is why Bogdan Aurescu said that the support actions of partners in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood and the Balkans must be consolidated. He reiterated Romanias strong commitment to support Ukraines souveranity and territorila integrity and talked about the importance of the support his country granted to Georgia, to help it cope with cyber and hybrid threats and strengthen its defense capabilities. (EE)