Foreign Minister Oana Toiu in Chisinau for meetings with top-office Moldovan politicians

Minister of Foreign Affairs Oana Toiu was on Tuesday on her first official visit to Chisinau, where she met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, and Prime Minister Dorin Recean, the Foreign Affairs Ministry reports.Toiu also held consultations with her Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popsoi, with the agenda of the talks including current topics regarding the Republic of Moldova's EU accession process, the advancement of bilateral cooperation projects in energy, infrastructure, culture and Romanian language, consolidating the stability and resilience of the Republic of Moldova, reinforcing trade ties between the two states, and improving the border crossing infrastructure.Oana Toiu conveyed the firm commitment of President Nicusor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and the entire Romanian government to supporting the authorities in Chisinau in their European integration bid, in this crucial period for the European future of the Republic of Moldova.The Romanian ForMin highlighted the solidity of Romania's relationship with the Republic of Moldova, built on the community of language, history and traditions, as well as on the joint efforts dedicated to the European integration of the neighboring country. Also discussed were the progress regarding energy interconnections such as the Suceava - Balti or Vulcanesti - Chisinau lines, and joint investments in the Republic of Moldova's energy independence, in the field of transport and infrastructure, or intended to streamline traffic at the common border."These investments generate concrete benefits for Romanian and Moldovan citizens and companies. In this logic, Minister Oana Toiu met with representatives of Romanian companies present in the Republic of Moldova. The regional security situation and joint efforts to combat hybrid attacks were also on the agenda of discussions," cited release notes.    Romania, together with the Republic of Moldova, can manage and prevent hybrid attacks, Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu told a press conference alongside her Moldovan counterpart, Mihai Popsoi, on Tuesday, in Chisinau."I assured Minister Popsoi that Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova, as it has done so far, in its goal of building resilience. Together, but also alongside other European partners, we can ensure the management and prevention of hybrid attacks," minister Toiu said.She evoked society's resistance to such phenomena."We are all learning together how to build resilience against these influences, both at the level of institutions and joint teams, but especially within society. We have seen in Romania, and now in the Republic of Moldova, how vital social resilience is. In particular, the most powerful tool we have is to affirm prosperity and peace as common goals - goals linked to EU membership and the European path of the Republic of Moldova," she pointed out.Foreign minister Toiu said that the collaborative projects between Romania and the Republic of Moldova "continue to make significant progress..""I have full confidence in the Republic of Moldova, and Romania continues to learn from it," said the minister.Regarding the EU accession files of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the Romanian minister reiterated that the assessment is based on the merits of each country and noted that Moldova has made "extraordinary progress" in this regard, while Ukraine has made "significant progress."At the same time, she stated that there are reasons to open several negotiation clusters with the two countries by the end of the year.For his part, Mihai Popsoi stated that Romania is his country's main strategic partner and that "its multidimensional support is essential for the transformation and European integration of the Republic of Moldova.""Active political dialogue and sectoral cooperation reflect this partnership," he said.At the same time, he mentioned the trilateral cooperation between Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine and emphasized the intention to organize a ministerial meeting in the near future."The Republic of Moldova wants to become a member of the European Union together with Ukraine," Popsoi said.   The decision to ban the mayor of Chisinau and two other citizens of the Republic of Moldova from entering Romania, respectively the Schengen Area, was taken by the authorities in our country "for reasons related to national security", said, on Tuesday, in Chisinau, the minister of foreign affairs, Oana Toiu."Romania has ordered the measure of non-permission on its territory for three people, citizens of the Republic of Moldova. This decision, once taken by Romania, for reasons related to national security, applies to the entire Schengen Area, based on the regulations we have now. As for the details related to the justification of this decision, for us national security prevails and it is up to the institutions dealing with national security to provide additional details when and if they deem it necessary. At this stage, this is not the case," explained the head of Romanian diplomacy.The mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, and two other citizens of the Republic of Moldova are banned from entering Romania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informed early this month."For reasons related to national security, Romania has ordered the measure of not allowing entry into the national territory for Mr. Ion Ceban and two other citizens of the Republic of Moldova. The decision is the responsibility of the relevant institutions in Romania, according to the regulations in force in the matter," the MAE reported at the time. (Photo:https://www.mae.ro/)