James Cleverly looks to bolster relationship with Romania amid Ukraine conflict

The British Foreign Secretary will emphasise the importance of standing shoulder to shoulder with Romania in the face of Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday as the UK looks to bolster its partnership with the country.

Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is in London this week to meet James Cleverly and sign a renewed strategic partnership to strengthen and maintain the two countries' historical connections, economic ties and trading relationship.

The strategic partnership was first established in 2003 and set out both countries' shared commitment to growing relations. Mr Cleverly is, according to prepared remarks, expected to acknowledge the importance of strengthening the UK's relationship with Romania in the context of the invasion of Ukraine and the security challenges facing Europe in 2023.

Ukraine must be supported for as long as it takes, UK's Cleverly to tell UN

The two ministers will also open a joint bilateral forum at the Foreign Office in London, bringing together government and business representatives, politicians, academics and members of civil society to discuss the future of UK-Romania co-operation in a range of fields including the economy, trade, energy, civil society and education.

The forum presents an opportunity for the UK to emphasise its unwavering support for Romania and the Black Sea region, which forms a central bulwark in the UK’s defence system.

It comes after the government announced new resilience funding for Moldova this month, underlining the UK’s support for the territorial integrity of Russia’s neighbours as it helps them to address the threat on their doorstep.

“As discussions with my friend Bogdan Aurescu demonstrate, our countries could not be closer on the biggest issues affecting our nations, the whole of Europe and indeed the whole world,” Mr Cleverly is expected to say at the forum.

“We now have 1.2 million people who are able to call themselves both Romanian and British — some of which are here today — up and down the UK.

“It is absolutely right that in 2023, we refresh our ambition and confirm our commitment to work closely together in foreign policy, defence, education, science, crime-fighting, stopping human trafficking, trade and investment.”

Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part in an EU Foreign Ministers' meeting, in Brussels, Belgium. Reuters

The Foreign Secretary and Mr Aurescu will commit to collective defence through Nato, and to working together to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, with a particular view to countering Russia’s action in the Black Sea region.

Mr Cleverly will also pay tribute to the generous support provided by Romania since the invasion.

Romania holds the longest border with Ukraine in all of Nato, and has provided support to about four million Ukrainian refugees, with more than 100,000 making the country their temporary home.

The British embassy in Bucharest has also offered support in education, allowing Ukrainian teachers to continue to teach their curriculum in Romania.

During the session, the two nations are also expected to pledge to work together to strengthen energy security and tackle climate change, expand connections between people and businesses, and to promote growth in both countries following the pandemic.

RESULT

Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')

'Ashkal'

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six

Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm

Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm

Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual

Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km

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7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
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Maestro

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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

Sole survivors

Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

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