The two foreign ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. This document will allow the dialogue to be intensified and better structured also at the expert level. It should thus contribute to more concrete cooperation between the two diplomatic services on international issues.

In the context of the discussion on how to counter the Russian expansionism and the consequences of the aggression against Ukraine, the ministers also exchanged views on the situation in Moldova, which is facing strong Russian pressure, and talked about the Czech and Romanian assistance to this country on its path towards the European Union.

The foreign ministers also discussed other security issues, particularly in the context of  NATO and the Bucharest format (B9). Minister Lipavský expressed interest in Romania’s experience with organising a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ministerial Meeting in 2022, which could be used by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise a similar NATO meeting in 2024.

Minister Odobescu highly appreciated the maximum efforts made by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union to secure an approval for Romania’s membership of the Schengen area. Minister Lipavský also confirmed his unequivocal support for Romania’s swift accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Czechia remains ready to share its experience with this process.

Minister Jan Lipavský attended the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first Czech settlemets in Banat at the National Rural Museum in Bucharest. He assured the representatives of the Czech ethnic minority in Romania that the Czech Government would continue to support their community in every possible way.

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