Message of thanks for Romania from the head of American diplomacy, for the support given to operations in the Middle East
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, spoke on Thursday with his counterpart from Bucharest, Oana Țoiu, and thanked Romania for supporting “American operations to promote security in the Middle East”, according to the clarifications made by a spokesperson of the State Department.
Marco Rubio spoke with Oana Țoiu “to thank Romania for being a true partner, providing swift and decisive support to American security operations in the Middle East,” said spokesman Tommy Pigott, quoted in a State Department statement.
The two also reviewed “opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defense, energy, emerging technologies and critical minerals, including offshore gas projects and civilian nuclear projects.”
Romania, involved in international discussions regarding the Strait of Hormuz
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated, on Wednesday, on B1 TV, that the international format regarding the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz includes 40 countries and also aims at commitments “on the military line”, strictly “defensive”, with the objective of maintaining safety in the strait after the completion of the war between the USA, Israel, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other.
Oana Țoiu explained that “this is also necessary to reduce the cost of insurance, which is later reflected in the cost of oil and in the cost of gasoline and diesel.”
“Regardless of how this negotiation will be completed, the perceived risk for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will be a high risk a few months from now, maybe a year from now, and then we must coordinate to reduce the prices related to the transit through the strait”, explained the head of Romanian diplomacy.
The group is led by Britain, according to Reuters, and aims to outline a diplomatic and military plan to reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas supplies.
The talks come as President Donald Trump criticized his European allies for not supporting the US and Israel in the operation against Iran and unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump is considering sanctioning some of his allies
The Wall Street Journal wrote, citing sources in the US administration, that Donald Trump is considering a plan to sanction some NATO members.
On Thursday, two European diplomats told Reuters that the NATO chief had informed some European chancelleries that the US president expects concrete commitments in the coming days on contributions to secure the strait.
Iran will not allow more than 15 ships a day to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the armistice agreement with the United States, a senior Iranian source was quoted as saying on Thursday by Russian state news agency TASS.
