On December 7, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the informal meeting of the state secretaries and secretaries-general from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Member States of the European Union and of the European External Action Service.
The event takes place every six months, prior the beginning of a new Council Presidency, and represents a good opportunity to introduce its priorities and to discuss topical issues on the European agenda.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cosmin Dinescu and enjoyed the participation of Minister Delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba.
The minister delegate outlined the four main pillars included in the agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU: Europe of convergence, safeguarding safety in Europe, strengthening the role of the European Union on the global arena and Europe of common values. He pointed out the importance that the future Romanian Presidency attached to cohesion and to safeguarding unity and reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to relaunching the European project.
The minister recalled the significance of the informal Summit of Sibiu, to be held on May 9, 2019, in the context of the debate on the strategic priorities of the European Union in the next years. He also introduced the objectives circumscribed to the external agenda of the EU during the Romanian Presidency and reiterated Romania’s support to strengthening the European project, including from the perspective of a more prominent role undertaken by the European Union on the global arena. He underlined Romania’s commitment to advancing the enlargement policy, the need to develop the relationships with the Eastern Partnership countries that concluded European Union Association Agreements, the interest in developing the transatlantic relationship and the EU-NATO cooperation, as well as the importance of supporting multilateralism and cooperation with the United Nations.
The discussions also approached the prospects of the transatlantic relationship and the aspects bearing on the management of the European External Action Service. The representatives of the Member States expressed their appreciation on the readiness of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as reflected in that first event, as well as their support for the described priorities.