ForMinAurescu warns Foreign Affairs Council about risk of prolonged, expanded conflict in Ukraine

Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu warns about the danger of prolonging and expanding of the conflict situation in Ukraine. Speaking in the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU in Brussels on Thursday, he called for 'sincere political will for a negotiated solution.'

Photo credit: (c) SIMION MECHNO / AGERPRES FLOW

A release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informed AGERPRES that Aurescu voiced the concern of authorities in Bucharest 'as regards the instability situation in the [Romania's] neighbouring country, fed from abroad by the Russian Federation with weapons and troops'; he stated his preoccupation about the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The head of Romanian diplomacy said it was important that the parts in conflict implement the provisions of these agreement ? ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy armament ? and underscored the importance of the monitoring of the Russia-Ukraine border in the conflict region 'as soon as possible,' as agreed in Minsk.

'During the talks, Bogdan Aurescu also declared himself in favour of firm positions and measures of the EU, sanctioning any drift or escalation tendencies in the field, which might impact the security balance in the Black Sea region. He highlighted the role of the sanctions decided so far by the EU and voiced his support for the enhancement of the sanctions regime, dictated by the situation on the ground,' MAE points out.

The extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs was dedicated to the analysis of the worrying situation in eastern Ukraine, as fights are growing more intense there, and the number of civil casualties is alarmingly increasing.

MAE's document mentioned a text of conclusions adopted by the...