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Bucharest, Feb 8 /Agerpres/ - Romania's Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu attended, February 6-8, the Security Conference in Munich, where he voiced support for the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans, reiterated Romania's stance on Kosovo that the independence of this Serb province should not be recognised, and held a series of bilateral talks. "The problems in the Caucasus and the Balkans could be solved through a rational, pragmatic approach, directed towards concrete objectives,” said Diaconescu during the panel 'Management of instability in the Trans-Caucasus area and the Western Balkans. Minister Diaconescu stressed the role of the Euro-Atlantic integration of the states in the Western Balkans, as an optimum and long-lasting solution for regional security. The Romanian top diplomat underlined the need that the international community identifies new means for the long-lasting regulation of the frozen conflicts in the Trans-Caucasus area, an area of strategic importance for the transit of oil and natural gas from Central Asia to Europe. Cristian Diaconescu launched a question about the Republic of Moldova. "Why cannot it arouse the same interest for the EU as the countries in the Balkans?" The Romanian minister said that a clear perspective for the European aspirations of Turkey would be a motivation for the states in the region, as well as an added value for the process of extension. As far as the Kosovo issue was concerned, Diaconescu told the Security Conference in Munich that Romania's stance on the Kosovo province remains unchanged, that is it the independence of the province should not be recognised, arguing that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence of February 17, 2008 runs contrary to the principles and rules of the international law. The statement came one day after the European Parliament asked the European Union member states having not recognised yet the independence of Kosovo to do so. "The resolutions of the European Parliament are like recommendations that do not bind the EU member states. We want to mention that Romania's stance remains the same, that is the new status of the Kosovo province should not be recognised, because the unilateral declaration of independence of February 17, 2008 runs contrary to the principles and rules of the international law," reads a press release issued by the minister. The 45-th edition of the security conference in Munich brought together heads of state and government, representatives of international organizations, reputed analysts and journalists, who have analyzed the sensitive issues regarding international security. Attending the event were official delegations from 50 countries, tens of heads of state or governments, 50 ministers and more than 300 journalists. On the sidelines of the conference, Cristian Diaconescu held a series of bilateral talks with president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, with adviser for national defence of the US president James Jones, with OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, as well as his Greek, Serb and Turkish counterparts. The Romanian top diplomat and Jones Jr. discussed the main guidelines for political cooperation with the new US Administration, the furtherance of the strategic partnership between Romania and the US in the area of military and security cooperation in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Black Sea basin, according to a statement to Agerpres by Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) spokesman Alin Serbanescu. In his conversation with Barroso, Diaconescu voiced support for a European partnership and cooperation in regard to the Western Balkans. The two officials are said to have highlighted the need for joint European efforts to stabilise the situation in Transdniester and Georgia and campaigned for a consistent approach of energy security.
[Sursa:
Agenţia Naţională de Presă
AGERPRES
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