Romania underlines support to Kuwait's mediation efforts in region

By Nawab Khan BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Romania, which holds the current European Union Presidency, Tuesday, underlined its strong support to the mediation efforts of Kuwait in the region and described the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a pillar of security.
"I know and very seriously appreciate the efforts of mediation by Kuwait to find a final solution in the GCC. We are strongly supporting this effort," Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu said in Brussels today.
He was replying to a question by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), during his presentation of the foreign policy priorities of the Romanian EU Presidency at an event organised by the think-tank European Policy Centre today.
"From our viewpoint the GCC countries are the most important economic partner of Romania in the Middle East. Secondly the GCC used to be a pillar of security in the region. That is why from our point of view, we have a direct interest in trying to contribute to the adoption of solution in the GCC," he stated.
Melescanu voiced his strong support to bring again the problems of the Middle East and in particular Palestine which he said is "the most important (problem)" back on the international stage.
"We cannot envisage at arriving at a solution without the participating of other countries including the US," he said.
Melescanu said that during the Romanian EU Presidency "what we do intend to do is try to organize some events with the countries of the region on issues like transport, energy from the Middle East region to Europe." "There is no intention whatsoever for Romania to come with a peace plan for the Middle East. We are looking forward and waiting for a promised peace plan which was announced by the President of the United States Donald Trump and we are still waiting for it," he said.
The Romanian foreign minister ruled out the relocation of his country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
"There is no decision in moving of our embassy in any way. Other countries who do it is their problem. But we cannot do things without having a serious analysis of this issue," he clarified.
He said Romania is among the few countries that have recognized the Palestine state since 1988 and continuously has very good relations with them.
"We also have very good and solid relations with Israel. Ten percent of the population of Israel migrated from Romania" he said.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians studied in Romania and some of them have married there and there are lot of mixed families, he noted.
"There is no country in Europe that is so interested like we are in finding a political solution to the Palestine problem," he stressed.
From our point of view the only way out is looking into the possibility of two states living in peace and security in the region, he said.
"And when finally these things will be solved and put on paper we have to tackle the issue of Jerusalem which is the jewel of the crown. It is a very complicated problem," he added.
Melescanu said the Romanian EU Presidency will focus on four dimensions, more convergence, a safer Europe, a stronger global posture and more robust common values in the EU.
Romania assumed the six-month rotating EU Presidency on 1 January for the first time since it became an EU member in 2007.
The six-member GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. (end) nk.mt