Romania, Türkiye working closely to strengthen bilateral trade ties, ensure Black Sea security

By Gokhan Celiker and Zeynep Katre Oran

ANTALYA, Türkiye (AA) – Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu said on Saturday that her country is working closely with Türkiye to develop strong bilateral relations in areas such as the economy, as well as ensuring security in the Black Sea.

Odobescu told Anadolu at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that she had a fruitful meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Bucharest at the end of January to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations, including economic cooperation in energy, infrastructure, and defense.

Highlighting Türkiye as a “key economic partner” for her country, Odobescu said around 18,000 Turkish companies operate in the Romanian market, with a trade volume reaching $10 billion in 2023.

She described preparations for the first high-level strategic cooperation meeting with Fidan to discuss concrete projects in both Romania and Türkiye as a “good opportunity.”

She emphasized that efforts under the trilateral initiative, which includes Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania, against the threat of mines in the Black Sea are another example of cooperation between them. This contributes significantly to ensuring and protecting security in the Black Sea, she added.

She emphasized that the three countries' efforts to clear mines in the Black Sea will also help Ukraine transit its cereals and agricultural products.

Odobescu expressed her delight at getting the opportunity to represent Romania at this year's Antalya Diplomacy Forum, saying the platform is ideal for exchanging perspectives on various crises and discussing regional and global issues in a challenging geopolitical environment.

- Israel's war on Gaza

Odobescu also voiced sadness over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip amid Israel's relentless attacks.

She said the Romanian government will continue to provide humanitarian aid to civilians in the besieged enclave, stressing the need for the implementation of humanitarian law and access to humanitarian aid in Gaza.

She stressed that civilians' lives must be protected under all circumstances.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,410 people and injured 71,700 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan