Ukraine has the sovereign right to decide its foreign policy

Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu represented Romania at the North Atlantic Council meetings, held within the framework of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting. At the NATO-Ukraine Council, Odobescu expressed her support for Ukraine's advancement on the Euro-Atlantic track and encouraged continued political dialogue and sustained interaction under the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan. The Minister also welcomed the first NUC meeting at the level of Allied Foreign Ministers, encouraging political dialogue and interaction in line with the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan.

Odobescu reiterated Romania's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly condemned russia's military invasion of Ukraine as a flagrant violation of international law, reports Agerpres. It reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereign right to decide on its foreign and security policy. Romania supports Ukraine's progress along the lines decided at the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest and hopes that the anniversary summit in Washington in 2024 will mark a breakthrough in relations between Kiev and NATO.

In addition to attending NATO meetings, Minister Odobescu held bilateral meetings with counterparts from Norway and Bulgaria, strengthening political dialogue and highlighting cooperation in the field of defence and security. The close Romanian-Bulgarian relations were highlighted in the context of the signing of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and the Minister discussed with Bulgarian officials the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Cooperation in the field of defence was also highlighted, with a focus on the security situation in the Black Sea.