Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu is attending the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on Monday and related events held on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels. The agenda of the meeting includes matters of interest for European security and advancing the economic interests of the European Union and its Member States.

An important item on the FAC agenda is the Black Sea, at the explicit request of Romania and other supporting Member States. Within the session dedicated to the EU's strategic approach to the Black Sea region, Romania's intervention will focus on the Maritime Security Hub, which is set to become operational in Constanta and Varna, commercial routes and Romania's decision, together with Türkiye and Bulgaria, to expand cooperation in order to protect critical infrastructure, a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) release mentioned.

The discussions will also include Russia's war against Ukraine, with a focus on European support in the energy area. Romania's intervention will highlight the need for European funding to connect energy infrastructure at the border and support sanctions packages, according to the quoted source.

At the meeting with Oleksandra Matviichuk, president of the Centre for Civil Liberties and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Minister Oana Toiu will voice support for the release of abducted children and civilians held in captivity, including through support for the Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, the MAE also said.

In respect to the situation in the Middle East, the focus will be on the latest developments in Iran and the urgent humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Current issues will also be discussed, such as the EU-UN relations and recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu will also take part in the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting, alongside GCC foreign ministers, and will hold meetings on the sidelines of the event.

The MAE delegation to the Foreign Affairs Council also includes Mihnea Motoc, Political Director, Ambassador Iulia Matei, Romania's Permanent Representative to the European Union, and Ileana Dinculescu, Director of the Middle East and Africa Department. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Catalina Matei; EN - writing by: Rodica State)

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