During the briefing, the PM spoke about the Qatari-Romanian relations, stressing they are characterised by trust and keenness to exchange views on various issues in the Middle East and Europe. He pointed out the continuous exchange and permanent political consultation between the two countries over the past years.
During the past few years, the two countries signed a group of agreements in several fields, including youth, sports, economy, health, medicine, culture, trade, industry, education and cooperation, he explained, adding that a memorandum of understanding was signed regarding livestock and food security, which embodies the ambitions of the two countries to strengthen and develop the relations to broader horizons.
“Today, there was a chance to discuss the regional developments that the Middle East is going through, especially since the region is experiencing sensitive circumstances and a dangerous escalation,” the PM said, calling on all parties to reduce the escalation and spare the region from sliding into a new cycle of conflicts.
For his part, Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu said his visit to Doha sends a strong message indicating that his country stands alongside Qatar, the US and partners in the European Union to support peace efforts and restore security in the Middle East.
He stressed the need for all countries to adopt a balanced stance and work to encourage dialogue and restraint to avoid dangerous events in the region, and for diplomacy and dialogue to be stronger than weapons.
He hailed the role of Qatari mediation over the years in dealing with complex international files, which contributed to reducing the escalation in and outside the region, emphasising Romania’s readiness to join relevant regional and international efforts to become part of a constructive solution, in order to avoid expanding the conflict in the Middle East.
The Romanian PM expressed appreciation for Qatar’s efforts, which demonstrated its important role in the region, especially regarding the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, including Romanian citizens.
He pointed out that these efforts led to the safe return of Romanian citizens to their homes, commending Qatar’s support for Romania during the Coronavirus pandemic, which strengthens the friendly relations between the two countries and their ability to build an in-depth partnership centred around strategic projects of mutual interest, in fields such as transportation, energy, economy, agriculture and digitalization.
He also expressed his hope that Romania would be the gateway to Qatari investment in the European Union and that such cooperation would continue for the benefit of the two friendly countries and their peoples.
