ForMin Melescanu discusses with Hungarian counterpart BRUA and relation with Romania

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu met on Friday in Bucharest with Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto and discussed with him about the National Gas Transmission System on the Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria corridor (BRUA) project, as well as about the rhetoric of the leaders in Budapest, a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) sent to AGERPRES informed.

"The head of the Romanian diplomacy conveyed to his Hungarian counterpart that he carefully watches the manner in which the Hungarian authorities manage domestic and foreign political affairs topics, with direct implications from the perspective of relations with Romania, including in respect to the rhetoric of the officials in Budapest," the quoted source mentions.

In relation to marking the Greater Union Centennial, Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated "the importance of adopting a balanced attitude and a reserved approach and without emotional accents, in view of denoting mutual respect," the MAE showed.

In respect to energy security, Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated the commitment for the completion of the BRUA project, in view of diversifying the gas sources and transmission routes at European level, showing that Romania respected the schedule in view of strengthening the necessary infrastructure to complete the phase I of the BRUA project and preparing the land for the phase II in the discussions with the decision-makers of the EU.

In this context, the Romanian official presented the stage of the internal process of adoption the Offshore Law, that will create the necessary judicial framework for exploiting hydrocarbon resources in the Black Sea.

Minister Teodor Melescanu presented the priorities on the foreign agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of the next year, with both parties exploring the possibility to cooperate on files such as the enlargement of the EU in the Western Balkans, the security in the Black Sea region and the Eastern Neighborhood. In this context, the Romanian official underscored the importance of the enlargement process in view of regional security, taking into account the special interest for the countries of the Balkan regions to be anchored in the European journey and in the Euro-Atlantic structures.

In respect to the Eastern Neighborhood, Minister Melescanu underscored that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU will plead for maintaining a firm strategic commitment of the EU, in order to ensure the stability, security and economic development of the Eastern Neighborhood, a region of interest for both countries.

Furthermore, also mentioned was the importance that the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council will grant during its mandate to the Black Sea strategic region.

In respect to the development on Ukraine's education law, the MAE showed, that the two officials exchanged views regarding the legislative measures adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in Kiev, with an impact over the rights of the persons belonging to national minorities. The Romanian side underscored its commitment for continuing discussions with the Ukrainian side, as well as in view of authorising the international institutions working in the area of protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, in order to identify the most suitable solutions. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)