Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu will visit Türkiye on Friday and meet with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss bilateral relations as well as developments and interconnectivity in the Black Sea.
Foreign Ministry sources said that the two top diplomats will also look into how to further develop trade and economic ties.
Fidan is expected to emphasize during the talks that Türkiye attaches importance to improving its connectivity with Romania, which will also contribute to strengthening regional connectivity.
He is also expected to express the possibility of strengthening transportation and energy corridors both along the Türkiye-Bulgaria-Romania line and in the broader region through the Three Seas Initiative, of which Türkiye became a strategic partner last April.
Fidan is expected to reiterate that Turkish citizens and Tatar Turkic compatriots living in Romania help strengthen the human connections between the two countries.
During the talks, Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of both countries acting with a sense of regional ownership, particularly in the Balkans and Black Sea regions.
Sources stated that he will emphasize that Türkiye prioritizes stability in the Balkans and that the rapid development of military relations and defense industry cooperation between the two allied countries helps regional security and strengthens NATO's deterrent effect.
Fidan is also expected to state that the activities of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, which Türkiye is conducting with Romania and Bulgaria, constitute a successful example of regional solidarity and concrete cooperation.
He is expected to convey Türkiye's expectations and priorities regarding Turkey-EU relations and the European security architecture to his counterpart. He is also expected to underline the critical importance of Türkiye's effective participation in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism and the development of joint projects for both bilateral relations and European security.
SAFE, adopted by EU leaders in May, is meant to provide competitively priced, long-term loans to accelerate urgent defense procurement.
It forms part of the European Commission's ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, aiming to mobilize over 800 billion euros ($928.17 billion) in defense spending.
While the loans will be available only to EU member states, Ukraine and European Free Trade Association-European Economic Area (EEA-EFTA) countries will also be eligible to participate in joint procurement under the scheme.
Türkiye, which is a member of NATO but not the EU, is technically eligible to access EU defense industry financing and joint procurement programs as part of the bloc's 150 billion euro SAFE initiative.
However, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration have opposed Ankara’s inclusion, citing ongoing disputes in the Aegean and the island of Cyprus. Approval from all EU members is required for Türkiye’s entry.
