Press statement given to AY MEDIA by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminița Odobescu on the sidelines of her participation in the ANTALYA DIPLOMACY FORUM 2024:
„I am glad to be participating today in this year’s edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. I believe it is an important platform for exchanging ideas and discussing with several foreign ministers from the region, as well as from other continents, such as: the multiple crises, the military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the crisis in the Middle East, and, of course, security issues in the Black Sea, all of which are of great interest to us.
Today, I will participate in a panel discussion on security in the Black Sea and regional cooperation. For us, the situation in the Black Sea region is concerning, and in this context, I would like to highlight the existing cooperation between Romania, Türkiye, and other partners, such as Bulgaria.
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a good platform for discussion, where we can express our views on current topics of major interest: security in the Black Sea, the aggression by Russia against Ukraine, and bilateral issues are also on the agenda of this forum, referring here to the important dialogue and excellent relationship we have with Türkiye.
I was particularly delighted to have my colleague, the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as a guest in Bucharest. We discussed in detail not only political cooperation, Türkiye being both a key economic partner and the main export market outside the European Union. There are 18,000 Turkish companies active in Romania, and last year we reached a record figure in terms of trade exchanges of over 10 billion USD. We discussed cooperation opportunities in various sectors such as energy, health, and infrastructure. Also, within the framework of the strategic partnership, we discussed holding a first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council in a new, innovative framework, allowing the two governments to discuss joint projects in both areas.
At the same time, as NATO member states, both countries closely coordinate in preparing for Türkiye’s candidacy for the European Union. Romania has always supported this process. I believe it is imperative for the countries around the Black Sea, especially in the current difficult situations, to cooperate and establish common objectives.”