Romania will continue to extend development assistance to Palestine in 2015, Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu told his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Malki at a one-on-one meeting on Monday in Barcelona, says Agerpres.
'The two officials reviewed the latest developments in the bilateral relationship between Romania and Palestine, with emphasis on political dialogue and the implementation of cooperation projects agreed upon at the 2nd session of the Romanian-Palestinian Inter-Governmental Committee of February 2014,' Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) reported on Monday in a press release.
The start in the last ten days of April 2015 of the first cooperation project under the action plan to implement a bilateral agricultural cooperation protocol was hailed.
'At the same time, Aurescu mentioned support for the first meeting of the Council of Romanian and Palestinian Business People being held as soon as possible as well as of the first Romanian-Palestinian business forum as a first step toward the development of bilateral trade and economic relationships. Also discussed were Romania's consular assistance projects. Aurescu underscored the need for developing bilateral parliamentary cooperation,' says MAE.
The two officials also exchanged opinions on regional issues that feature on the international community's agenda, particularly the conflict between Israel and Palestine and also the peace prospects, along with the latest developments in Syria in the context of the actions conducted by the self-styled Islamic State terror group.
Aurescu voiced worries over the fate of the Palestinian refugees at the Yarmouk camp in Syria, as his Palestinian counterpart introduced him to the latest developments at the scene.
Aurescu invited al-Malki to visit Bucharest, an invitation accepted, and they agreed on a new meeting of the Romanian-Palestinian Inter-Governmental Committee being held this year.
The meeting of Aurescu and his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Malki was held on the side-lines of an EU ministerial meeting in Barcelona with EU's Southern Neighbourhood partner states.