ForMin Aurescu participates extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers on developments in Israel and Palestine

Bucharest, May 18 /Agerpres/ - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, participated on Tuesday in the extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states (Foreign Affairs Council), held in videoconference system, during which he expressed deep concern at the serious deterioration of the security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) release sent to AGERPRES, during his speech, the head of the Romanian diplomacy reiterated the firm condemnation of the missile fires launched from the Gaza Strip on the populated areas of Israel, emphasizing that non-discriminatory attacks on civilians have no justification and must stop immediately. In this context, he stressed the need to recognize the legitimate need for security and Israel's right to self-defence. He also stressed that international humanitarian law must be fully respected, stressing the need for adequate protection of all civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian. Minister Aurescu stressed that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in safety, freedom and prosperity. The Romanian foreign minister underlined the support for the efforts of the UN, the USA and the EU, as well as of the Arab states in the region, which aim at engaging the parties in a dialogue meant to facilitate the immediate implementation of a ceasefire agreement, highlighting the importance of the EU's intense diplomatic efforts together with the other actors involved, which can contribute to the approval and implementation of an immediate and lasting ceasefire, as well as to the restoration of calm and good coexistence in the Israeli communities affected by the recent tensions, the quoted source states. The Romanian official pointed out the need to combine all efforts at the international level, including by resuming the work of the Quartet for the Middle East, in order to defuse the current situation and establish a suitable framework for resuming direct negotiations. In this context, the head of the Romanian diplomacy highlighted that the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays special attention to the need to ensure the protection of Romanian citizens in the Gaza Strip and expressed Romania's openness to consult and coordinate with other member states to identify the most good solutions to protect their citizens. The discussions of the foreign ministers revealed the importance of the Middle East for the security and stability of Europe, stressing the need to consolidate some positive developments on multiple regional issues. At the same time, the spiral of violence has only deepened the crisis and undermined the Middle East Peace Process, affecting the legitimate interests and aspirations of the citizens of both sides in terms of security, prosperity and democracy. The meeting was convened as a matter of urgency by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to discuss developments in Israel and Palestine and ways in which the EU can support efforts to end violence and escalate tensions. days, reads the MAE release sent to AGERPRES. AGERPRES (RO - author: Sorinel Penes, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi)