Acting Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on Tuesday at the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest that Romania is among the Eastern Flank countries that have recorded the most airspace violations, particularly due to drone incidents.

'Romania is among the Eastern Flank countries that have had the most violations of national airspace. For us, it is not only about defending our own territory and the Eastern Flank - we also need to focus investments on the most vulnerable areas: the Danube and the Black Sea,' the acting minister said.

Toiu also stressed the importance of security in the Black Sea and Danube Delta region.

'We must understand - and here I welcome Germany's contribution to today's discussions - that when we talk about the Black Sea and the Danube Delta, we must ensure they are protected now and in the future,' Toiu said.

She reiterated that the Black Sea security hub proposed by Romania must be a priority in the next EU budget allocation. 'We see a coordinated political approach in this direction,' she added.

The Foreign minister also recalled that on Wednesday Bucharest will host the B9 Summit, dedicated to strengthening and coordinating regional initiatives. The format, created one year after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, is co-chaired by Romania and Poland.

'We were among the states that immediately understood that this [illegal annexation] would be a threat to us and to the continent, and that we needed to coordinate,' she said.

She also referred to the international reaction to the illegal annexation of Crimea 12 years ago, saying that 'It is clear that if the international community had had a firmer response at the time - in terms of sanctions, not necessarily military - we might not be in this situation today. We cannot change the past, but I believe that Europe's energy dependence on Russia mattered then and influenced the firmness of our sanctions response.'

Despite Russia's actions, she stressed, the EU and NATO have grown stronger.

'It is a long-term strategic approach by Russia to try to destabilize or create vulnerabilities within the EU and NATO. The continuous pressure generated by the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine is part of that strategy. Four years after the start of the war, they say Russia wanted to weaken NATO. Tomorrow we will welcome the president of Finland - because Finland wanted to be a NATO member,' Oana Toiu added.

The top diplomat also noted that Romania and Poland are the countries that have recorded the most airspace violations caused by drones flying over war-torn Ukraine. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)