Diplomat Bogdan Aurescu is Romania's new Foreign Affairs Minister, after Titus Corlatean and Teodor Melescanu both resigned, and the proposal of Ambassador Mihnea Motoc was withdrawn.

Aurescu is best known for having led the team that won Romania's trial against Ukraine, in The Hague, in 2009. In February 2009, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in Netherlands, ruled in Romania’s favour in a territorial dispute with Ukraine, for a 12,000 square kilometres of the Black Sea waters. The disputed territory was close to Ukraine’s Insula Serpilor (Snakes’ Island). Romania received almost 80% of the territory in dispute, some 9,700 square kilometres of continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. The perimeter is currently explored by oil and gas companies for hydrocarbons.

Aurescu, 41, graduated the Faculty of Law in 1996, and the Faculty of History, in 1998, at the University of Bucharest.

He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996, working in the Legal and Treaties Division. Between 1998 and 2003 he successively held the positions of adviser to the Cabinet Minister, Deputy Director of Legal and Treaties, Director of Cabinet, Director of Legal and Treaties / International Law and Treaties, Director General of Directorate General of Legal Affairs. During 2003-2004 he served as Secretary of State - Government Agent for the European Court of Human Rights, and between 2004 and 2005 as Secretary of State for European Affairs.

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