Bucharest, Oct 21 /Agerpres/ – On his first day in office, Romania’s Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu had a series of telephone conversations with European officials from partner and allied countries, with the major subjects discussed with them being common security on NATO’s eastern flank, from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea, and the protection of freedom of navigation and trade routes essential to global food security.

“I started the first day of my term of office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a series of telephone conversations with our European partners and allies. I had a first open discussion with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. I conveyed to her our commitment to work closely for a European foreign policy that delivers concrete results for the security of the continent,” the head of diplomacy said in a social media post.

On the same day he also spoke with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popsoi, his counterparts from all three Baltic states – Margus Tsahkna from Estonia, Baiba Braze from Latvia and Kestutis Budrys from Lithuania – as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Velislava Petrova.

“Essentially, all these discussions followed several major lines. First, our shared security on the eastern flank, from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea, and the protection of freedom of navigation and trade routes essential to global food security. I underlined the urgent need to operationalise the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub that we are working on together with our neighbours and partners. Keeping the Black Sea at the centre of EU and NATO decisions, close coordination on the eastern flank and expanding the European Union as an investment in the stability of our region means, practically, attention, resources and additional capabilities for the safety of Romania and our citizens.”