Romania To Push For Bigger EU Role In Black Sea - Foreign Minister

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published January 22, 2019 | 07:18 PM

Romania will press for greater EU engagement in the Black Sea region in light of the recent tensions, the country's foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu, said on Tuesday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) Romania will press for greater EU engagement in the Black Sea region in light of the recent tensions, the country's foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu, said on Tuesday.

Melescanu set out priorities for his country's presidency of the Council of the European Union, which would end on June 30, saying the bloc needed to work closer together with regional organizations.

The recent years have seen a dangerous escalation in the Black Sea region, he warned, adding it was time to increase the European Union's visibility by getting involved in regional programs and projects.

Tensions in the Black Sea rose last November when Russian coast guards detained three Ukrainian naval vessels off the Crimean coast for illegally crossing into Russian territorial waters. A total of 24 people on board, including two Ukrainian security agents, were arrested.