Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Iohannis: We must acknowledge and respect the European...

Iohannis: We must acknowledge and respect the European aspirations of the Eastern Partnership countries

January 13, 2022

President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that Romania upholds several principles for the future of the Eastern Partnership, including that the European aspirations of member countries must be acknowledged and respected, so as their free and sovereign choices."Romania's approach to the future of the Partnership is based on the following principles: firstly, partners must continue to deliver results in the reform process. Positive differentiation - more for more - offers excellent incentives in unlocking new opportunities. In fact, the potential of our partners' relations with the EU are what their partners are doing with it. Secondly, no results should be ruled out as far as their European integration is concerned, as long as the interested partners continue to perform. We must acknowledge and respect their European aspirations and their free and sovereign choices. Thirdly, the EU must respond to the specific needs and interests of its partners," the head of state said at the Eastern Partnership Summit.President Iohannis also said that the region needs a stronger EU commitment through political support, targeted technical assistance for reforms and adequate funding."The EU should also be more involved in contributing to solutions to protracted conflicts, as Romania has consistently argued. (...) We need to focus on strengthening the resilience of our partners, including by stepping up security cooperation and support in security field and for countering the attempts to undermine our democratic values. The EU's investment in these goals should be seen as an investment in the EU's own resilience," Iohannis said.He stressed that the Republic of Moldova is "a powerful example of what we can achieve if we work together.""We now have a reformist administration in Chisinau with a strong European commitment. I can personally testify after meeting with President Maia Sandu twice in less than four months. They need our help to succeed. It is a chance which we cannot miss - in the interest of the Republic of Moldova, but also of our Eastern Partnership", the head of state specified.Iohannis stated that Belarus' decision to suspend its participation in the Eastern Partnership was regrettable and did not reflect the aspirations of its citizens. The President recalled that last year, together with Poland and Lithuania, he proposed the EU Economic Plan, stating that this was the starting point, "once the conditions for its implementation were met"."The door to our partnership should remain open for a future democratic Belarus," said Klaus Iohannis.The Sixth Eastern Partnership Summit is chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. The meeting is attended by the heads of state and Government of the EU member states, the leaders of the five partner states - the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Security Policy, Josep Borrell.A joint declaration is to be adopted at the summit, which will set out the strategic vision for the post-2020 period of the Eastern Partnership.At Wednesday's Eastern Partnership summit, the leaders of Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova lobbied for the start of negotiations on their country's accession to the European Union.Within the Eastern Partnership, the EU provides funding, financial assistance and free trade, but not membership status. 

Read in full - click here
TikTok launches Election Center ahead of Romania’s May presidential vote

TikTok has launched an Election Center dedicated to Romania's upcoming elections as part of its broader effort to protect "the integrity of the platform" and promote access to reliable information. The initiative is supported by a new media literacy campaign and ongoing collaboration with more than 20 fact-checking partners, the company said in a statement. […]

Romanian interim president meets with OSCE election observation mission

Romanian acting president Ilie Bolojan met on Friday, April 25, with a delegation from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, or ODIHR, of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according to a statement from the presidential administration. The acting president told the delegation that Romania "is faithful to democratic principles […]

Shareholders of Romanian oil giant OMV Petrom approve record dividends for 2025

Shareholders of Romanian oil company OMV Petrom recently approved the distribution of record dividends amounting to RON 2.8 billion (EUR 562.6 million) for the 2024 financial year, as well as the 2025 budget, which provides for investments of RON 8.1 billion (EUR 1.6 billion). The decision was taken during the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meetings […]

European Film Festival reaches ten cities in Romania for 29th edition

The 2025 edition of the European Film Festival (FFE), which takes place this year in Bucharest and nine other cities, will screen more than 40 feature films, 28 of which are national premieres. The festival will also present two selections of short films, also screened as national premieres. Among them are 11 documentaries, 13 films […]

Update: Russian security service says it arrested Romanian man for spying for Ukraine

Update: The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official press release that the Romanian citizen was initially detained in the Abkhazia region four months ago and was later transferred to Sochi, Russia. "Steps have already been taken to provide consular protection and assistance with the central and local authorities, in accordance with international regulations," […]

Russian security service says it arrested Romanian man for spying for Ukraine

Russia’s Federal Security Service, FSB, said on Friday, April 25, that it arrested a 23-year-old Romanian citizen on suspicion of spying for Ukraine by sharing the locations of Russian air defense systems. The unnamed man is accused of collecting and transmitting information about air defense sites in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi to […]