The meeting was hosted by Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. The Romanian side was represented by Minister Teodor Meleşcanu.

The ministers talked about the current challenges faced by NATO in the year marking its 70th anniversary. The chiefs of diplomacy of the three countries focused on the transatlantic cooperation and EU activities in the field of security. “Maintaining close relations between the European allies and the United States is key,” emphasized Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

The interlocutors paid special attention to the unstable situation in Eastern and Southern Europe. “We support NATO’s 360-degree approach,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz noting that we need the Alliance’s strong involvement in the regional security “from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.” During the meeting, the ministers covered the situation in Ukraine and Georgia in the context of Russian involvement in these countries. They reiterated their support for the territorial integrity of the two countries. “The continuous Russian aggression makes NATO’s cooperation with Georgia even more important,” said the chief of the Polish MFA during the meetings.

“Russia’s actions negatively impact the security level in the whole Black Sea region. To prevent further Russian aggression, we advocate strengthening NATO’s involvement in the region. This direction was set out during the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Washington,” said Minister Czaputowicz. He also recalled that Poland is an active ally in the Black Sea region. “Our troops are members of the Multinational Brigade South-East. We are present in Ukraine. We are a leading ally in two initiative packages within NATO-Georgia cooperation. Polish embassy in Georgia acts as a NATO contact point in the region,” he noted.

“We understand Turkey’s European aspirations and we support its efforts on its pro-European path,” emphasized Minister Jacek Czaputowicz during his visit in Ankara. Referring to the fact that Poland and Turkey have enjoyed good relations for several centuries, the minister reminded that Turkey never recognized the partitions of Poland. He noted that Poland and Turkey have strong political, economic and cultural ties. “Turkey is Poland’s important partner in terms of defense industry cooperation,” said the chief of the Polish MFA. “Turkey, in particular, can play a major role in efforts to stabilize the Western Balkans region,” stated Poland’s top diplomat. “The country is also important on account of the Warsaw Process. We encourage Turkey to actively participate in the working groups, which will be established as a result of the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East, which we held jointly with the US in Warsaw in February this year,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

The so-called “Trilogue” meetings have been held regularly since 2016. Their purpose is to strengthen cooperation between the allies representing the largest countries of NATO’s eastern and southern flank and to reach a common position on key regional security issues. The previous meeting in this format was held in Bucharest in September 2018. The ministers announced that the next meeting in the format will be held in Warsaw next year.

 

MFA Press Office

Photo Tymon Markowski / MSZ