Interlic.md

Romania's Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Wednesday met his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and the European bid of Moldova.

Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) reports in a press release that when discussing the latest developments in the EU's Eastern Neighbourhood, the two ministers highlighted the magnitude of the regional challenges and the need to convey a clear message to the eastern partners that have proved a firm commitment to European integration.

'Both ministers reaffirmed clear support for Moldova's European bid, underscoring the importance for Moldova to sign an association agreement and a deep and comprehensive trade agreement (AA/DCFTA) at end-June, 2014,' reads the release.

MAE reports that the two officials underscored the need for consistent, coordinated and unitary actions of the EU in support of the preservation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, for stabilising the situation and consolidating the democratic values in the region. Both Corlatean and Sikorski voiced satisfaction with the transparent and democratic presidential election of May 25, 2014 that led to the election of Petro Poroshenko as Ukraine's president. They said this process is an important step forward toward stabilising the situation in the region.

'The need for sustained joint efforts to ensure Europe's energy security was underscored, given that the crisis in Ukraine reconfirmed the major part of a common energy policy where reducing energy dependence will be crucial to regional stability,' says MAE.

On the other hand, referring to the international context, the Romanian and Polish chief diplomats highlighted NATO's importance and the importance of the two countries' solid relationship with the US, including from the perspective of talks being finalised over an EU-US trade and investment agreement.

Corlatean and Sikorski also discussed coordination of the institutional rearrangement at EU level, as well as energy security by decreasing energy dependence and completing an internal energy market.

'Following the outcome of the May European elections and the institutional developments, the two ministers underscored the importance for pro-European forces coalescing to promote in the years ahead an agenda focused on the major priorities of the EU, including the consolidation of the role of the European Commission,' MAE says in its press release.

According to the same source, on the sidelines of the celebrations in Warsaw of 25 years since the first free by-elections in Poland initiated by the Solidarity Movement, Corlatean met US Secretary of State John Kerry, other attending European foreign ministers as well as Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland.

'Foreign Minister Corlatean congratulated Ukraine's fresh President Petro Poroshenko, in the name of the Romanian Government. He also met Poland's former Prime Minister of 2001-2004 Leszek Miller, chair of Poland's Party of Democratic Left Alliance, and Jerzy Wenderlich, deputy chair of Poland's Sejm,' MAE reports. Agerpres