ForMin Aurescu: Sanctions regime, not end-purpose, but modality to stimulate dialogue as peace solution in Ukraine

Implementing the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation doesn't represent an end-purpose, but a modality to stimulate dialogue "as a peace solution to the conflict and to discourage aggressive action," Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said at Romania"s Embassy to France, on the occasion of the conference-debate called 'Security stakes and perspectives in the eastern neighbourhood - Romania's vision.'

Photo credit: (c) Angelo Brezoianu / AGERPRES PHOTO

"Focused on the context of the crisis in the east of Ukraine, the presentation of Minister Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the complexity and ampleness of the current challenges in the ensemble of the security context in the region. A special focus was placed on aspects such as the security balance at the Black Sea, including the importance NATO grants to the region, also illustrated at the level of the decisions of the Alliance's Summit carried out in Wales, which are currently being implemented," a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) press release remitted to AGERPRES points out.

According to the source, Aurescu showed that the Minsk 2 agreements can represent a step forward to the political solving of the crisis on condition that these provisions are implemented entirely, especially the ceasefire, the withdrawal of the heavy weaponry and the access of the OSCE monitors for observing the fulfillment of these first stages.

"In case these steps aren't implemented, the option of some new sanctions becomes of actuality again," MAE states.

Moreover, Bogdan Aurescu said that "the level of observing the understanding agreed in Minsk will also represent the calibration reference point of implementing the sanctioning regime of the Union." The Romanian chief diplomat also...