The Republic of Moldova can count on Romania
Romania's president and prime-minister went to Chisinau to discuss the Ukrainian refugee crisis
Ştefan Stoica, 17.03.2022, 13:50
Romania will receive as many refugees as they come. This is the firm promise made by President Klaus Iohannis in Chisinau, after talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, focusing on the fate of the people that are fleeing the Russian-led war in Ukraine. Moreover, Romania will also receive those who have taken refuge in the Republic of Moldova, a country whose reception capacity has already been exceeded and which needs additional assistance for the incoming flow of refugees. You can count on us, was the message conveyed by Iohannis in Chisinau.
Klaus Iohannis: Romania and the Republic of Moldova, as neighbours of Ukraine, must take all necessary measures to deal with this as effectively as possible. That is why I came to Chisinau together with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, carrying a strong message: Romania stands by the Republic of Moldova and all its citizens, as it always has been. You can count on us! We will focus on supplementing the financial and technical assistance as soon as possible, as well as on managing the massive influx of refugees from Ukraine.I
In turn, President Maia Sandu said she was convinced that the close partnership between the Republic of Moldova and Romania would help overcome the difficulties and uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine. She thanked Romania for its support in difficult times, both in managing the refugee crisis and the energy crises. Chisinau also relies on Bucharest’s support in the process of joining the European Union.
Maia Sandu: The new reality in the region requires firm and decisive actions on our part. On March 4, the Republic of Moldova applied for membership of the European Union. The European future of our country is indisputable, and the strategic partnership for European integration between the Republic of Moldova and Romania will help us to achieve this goal faster in the interest of our citizens. We also rely on Romania’s support for the opening of European markets for all categories of Moldovan products that can no longer enter the Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian markets due to the war in Ukraine. Accepting our products on EU markets under these conditions will be a direct and significant support for Moldovan farmers .
The Romanian president believes that the decision to sign the application for membership will lead to the accelerated continuation of the reforms undertaken by Chisinau. European integration is the only way to ensure Moldova’s democracy, stability, prosperity, economic and social development, the head of state stressed.
The talks also focused on the situation in Transnistria, the breakaway region in the east which got out of Chisinau’s control three decades ago with Russian military support. Iohannis reaffirmed Romania’s full support for the political settlement of the Transnistrian issue, while respecting Moldova’s independence and territorial integrity. (MI)
