Mr. Cătălin Predoiu, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs, had a meeting on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, with a delegation led by Mr. Moshe Arbel, the Israeli Minister of the Interior. The delegation also included members of the families of Romanian citizens (with dual citizenship) kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas.
The meeting took place on the occasion of the Israeli official’s visit to Romania, in the context of the current security situation in the Middle East.
The Israeli counterside expressed thanks for the solidarity that Romania showed in the context of the conflict caused by Hamas starting on October 7th, 2023.
For its part, the Romanian side thanked the Israeli authorities for the support given in order to repatriate the Romanian citizens who were in Israel at the beginning of the crisis. It also highlighted the need to continue working together for the speedy and safe release of all remaining hostages, however difficult or complex the process may be. The Minister of Internal Affairs sent a message of solidarity to the families present and reiterated his support for the undertaking of all efforts that can be made to contribute to the release of all hostages.
Romania supports the intensification of efforts to make the ceasefire permanent and to identify diplomatic solutions with a view to resuming the Peace Process and pleads for the strict observance of international law and international humanitarian law.
During the discussions, the two interlocutors welcomed the good level of bilateral cooperation and highlighted the importance of its consolidation and the resumption of pending projects once the security situation normalizes.
