PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRIME MINISTER OF ROMANIA

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRIME MINISTER OF ROMANIA

The international community should draw up parameters to guide future partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

Speaking after a day-long Security Council debate on regional cooperation, organized by Romania as part of its Council presidency, Mr. Nastase said the discussion had gathered major regional organizations worldwide to the “landmark debate of our times”.  Stressing that the discussion should not be seen as a one-time event, he said the Council should work to boost regional cooperation in stabilizing countries emerging from war or crisis.

Asked by a correspondent what practical results Romania expected from the Council debate, Mr. Nastase said assessing regional and Council activities would avoid overlaps between them, and encourage the international community to address the complex situation surrounding local conflicts.  Conflict resolution no longer meant arranging ceasefires or blocking combatants, but must focus on stabilization and reconstruction, or the crisis would be in grave danger of resuming.

When another correspondent asked what regional cooperation he would like to see in the Sudan, he said the Council was monitoring the situation, focusing particularly on civilian security and disarmament.  He expected that specific regional actions might be suggested to the Council tomorrow, especially for the delivery of humanitarian aid.  If the international community did not act immediately, he added, the situation there could be catastrophic.

Responding to another query about Iraq, he said the international community should “stay the course” there, supporting the country’s efforts to build democracy.  Recounting that he had seen the seemingly insurmountable problems the country faced in a visit there two months ago, he stressed that international withdrawal from Iraq could lead to anarchy and even greater poverty.

Questioned what he expected to discuss with United States President George Bush in a meeting with him on Wednesday, Mr. Nastase said they would be speaking about the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, cooperation with the United States in the Caucasus and Black Sea regions, and economic relations between the two countries.  Romania would like to strengthen its current trade relations with the United States, and encourage the country to invest more in the newly formed democracy.

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