Iohannis reiterates, in Brussels, that Ukraine, Republic of Moldova remain priority topics

President Klaus Iohannis participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council, in which context he reiterated the fact that "Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova remain topics of absolute priority" and insisted on the need for a security approach that includes the entire Black Sea region, reports the Presidential Administration.According to the cited source, the meeting started with a reception offered by the King of Belgium, Philippe, in the context of this country holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council.The leaders' dialogue continued, within the European Council meeting, with the discussion of the topics on the agenda, namely the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU-Turkey relations and the new European pact for competitiveness.Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the European leaders discussed ways to continue providing adequate support to Ukraine, on all dimensions, especially in terms of military assistance to support Ukraine's defense capabilities, the provision of air defense means and ammunition being urgent.The president emphasized "the need for continuous and consolidated multidimensional support for Ukraine".Equally, he pleaded for the rapid advancement of the process of accession to the European Union of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, within a "predictable and sustained" process.Another topic discussed was related to the recent developments in the Middle East, especially Iran's recent attack on Israel, as well as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and preventing the escalation of tensions in the region.President Iohannis reiterated Romania's reaction of condemning this attack and expressed full solidarity with the Israeli people at this time, pleading for a firm and united message from the EU member states towards Iran, in order to avoid an additional escalation of the situation. Also, the president highlighted the importance of cooperation with international partners for this purpose. The European leaders also had an applied discussion regarding the perspectives of the EU-Turkey relationship, and Klaus Iohannis "welcomed the opportunity of the discussion and expressed his support for a strong and strategic relationship of the EU with Turkey in the long term".The president of Romania showed that, especially in the current difficult geopolitical context generated by Russia's aggression against Ukraine, a strong EU-Turkey relationship remains a long-term strategic priority for the European Union and expressed support for examining possible additional steps, especially in the fields of political dialogue and sectoral cooperation, in line with the proposals made by the European Commission and the High Representative.The aspects related to the necessity of resuming the discussions regarding the solution of the Cypriot problem and recording progress within them were also addressed.Another important topic on the agenda was the competitiveness of the European economy.Klaus Iohannis advocated for "an integrated approach to competitiveness, which would strengthen the essential role of the single market, complementary to the need to maintain sustainable and inclusive productivity growth in Europe, in order to ensure long-term prosperity and resilience".Also, the president showed that the new decisions should ensure the deepening of the single market based on the principles of cohesion, connectivity and economic and social convergence and lead to the reduction of gaps in development, productivity and innovation, both within the Union and in relation to other states.The president of Romania pleaded, in the context, for the priority role that the cohesion policy must continue to have and, in general, for the need for support measures to accompany the transformative process of the European society and economy.He also reiterated the importance of ensuring fair competition conditions, including within the Union, respecting national specificities, simplifying and reducing the administrative burden as horizontal priorities. In this sense, he emphasized the need to eliminate any barriers in the functioning of the single market, as a pillar of competitiveness, including by referring to the four freedoms of movement, a particularly important aspect in the context of Romania's accession to the Schengen area, respectively the efforts for speedy lifting of controls at the land borders.President Iohannis also highlighted the need for an inclusive industrial policy, which would ensure the preservation and growth of production in Europe, capitalize on the potential of each member state and benefit from all forms of energy with low carbon emissions, including nuclear energy. In this context, he emphasized the importance of a consolidated Energy Union, including by ensuring the interconnections between the member states and with neighboring ones.At the same time, Klaus Iohannis backed the role that European agriculture holds as a tool for promoting European competitiveness, highlighting the need for a "strong, stable and predictable" support framework for agricultural producers, for flexible tools adapted to new realities, reiterating, at the same time, that the Union must remain resilient in terms of food security and continue to play a global leadership role in trade in agricultural products.