PM Ciuca, Commissioner Schmit discuss need for European solidarity in managing refugees, protecting economy

At the Government House on Thursday, Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit, to underline the need for Romania to enjoy European solidarity both in terms of managing the flow of refugees from Ukraine, and in order to protect the Romanian economy and the citizens from the effects of the multiple crises they are going through.According to a government press statement, analysed at the meeting was the European Union's response to the crisis generated by the Russian military aggression in Ukraine."The more than 620,000 refugees who have entered Romania since the beginning of the conflict, many of whom are children, have benefited from the support of the local government and civil society, who have provided shelter, food and integrated social services, including securing children's access to formal education. Special attention was paid to the need for support for the Republic of Moldova, which is affected by the influx of refugees, given the economic problems it is facing," the statement says.Ciuca presented Romania's strategy to develop its economy and secure its energy independence through the use of nuclear energy, the development of renewable energy production facilities and the exploitation of new offshore natural gas fields, at the same time with connecting to supply routes via Bulgaria and Greece.Also, the use of European money for the modernisation of the country and the creation of new jobs, in an integrated manner, bringing together both the funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, together with the programmes allocated at European level for the management of refugees, were mentioned as important opportunities for the actual manifestation of European solidarity.In his turn, Commissioner Schmit thanked Romania for its swift and effective response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine, underscoring the effectiveness of efforts to receive more than half a million refugees."A special mention was made of the support given to Ukrainian children in need of access to education. The European official mentioned the European Commission's support for quick access to funds already available to member states, which will be supplemented with new resources," the release reads.As far as employment in Romania is concerned, Schmit mentioned a low unemployment rate in the country and the quality of social dialogue, pointing out that investment is needed in the digital sector and in education to increase the level of training of the workforce.