B9

The meeting of foreign ministers in the Bucharest 9 format carries on today in Łódź (Poland), co-chaired by the head of the Romanian diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu and his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau. On Thursday, the Romanian official announced that the first high-level conference on security in the Black Sea region will take place in Bucharest on April 13. During the talks in Lodz, B9 ministers focused on the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine at regional and Euro-Atlantic level, with an emphasis on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and to consolidate trans-Atlantic ties, the Romanian foreign ministry said. In his address, Mr. Aurescu called on B9 ministers to maintain increased Allied attention and involvement in the Black Sea region, which has strategic importance for the entire Euro-Atlantic space, as well as to strengthen trans-Atlantic coordination. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to further provide multidimensional support to Ukraine. He also encouraged the Allies on the eastern flank to continue supporting Ukraine’s neighbours, which are vulnerable to Russia’s aggressive moves, especially Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, which is facing hybrid threats designed to destabilise the country and to undermine its EU accession efforts.