President Klaus Iohannis and PM Ciuca to participate in European Council meeting in Brussels

President Klaus Iohannis will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, the Presidential Administration informs.Invited to attend the meeting is also the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, as a reconfirmation of the transatlantic unity and coordination in the current security context generated by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine.The European Council's discussion agenda approaches security developments in Ukraine, with a focus on the European Union's political, financial, material and humanitarian support to this country. The high officials will also address ways to support Ukrainian refugees at the European level, by using the temporary protection mechanism.The heads of state and government will agree on the Strategic Compass, an instrument that will provide strategic guidance for the next decade on security and defence actions at EU level.Following talks at the Versailles Summit, the European leaders will discuss issues related to ensuring security of energy supply at the European level, amid measures to reduce dependence on Russia. Based on the European Commission's communications, the situation of energy prices, measures to support the most vulnerable and to support, in the short term, the business environment will also be addressed.They will also discuss economic issues related to the strengthening of the Internal Market, the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the external relations of the European Union, with a focus on the relationship with China and the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.President Klaus Iohannis will also attend a special meeting of NATO heads of state and government at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.On Monday, the Romanian head of state attended a coordination meeting, in videoconference format, organized by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, with several European leaders in preparation for the European Council.According to the Presidential Administration, during his speech, President Iohannis informed about the efforts that Romania continues to make for the management of the refugee flow from Ukraine, as well as about the direct support given to Ukraine through the humanitarian hub located in Suceava, which benefits from support from the European Commission and the Member States.President Klaus Iohannis underscored that this support must continue to be given, highlighting the difficulties faced by the population remaining in Ukraine and emphasizing the urgent need to reach a ceasefire and to protect the civilians in Ukraine."The President of Romania has called for the adoption by the European Union of additional sanctions against Russia, which will have a relevant impact on this country," the Presidential Administration states.The head of state reiterated the importance of diversifying sources and routes of energy supply in the European Union, but also the need to develop interconnectivity between Member States, in the context of the Union's major goal of reducing energy dependence on Russian Federation.In what concerns the topic of high energy prices, President Iohannis reiterated the need to identify convergent solutions at the European level as soon as possible, while drawing attention to the difficulties posed by the link between rising gas prices and electricity prices, which is having an unwanted impact on the market."President Klaus Iohannis has indicated that the major goal is to find efficient short-term solutions that protect European citizens and the EU's economic competitiveness, so that industrial production and jobs in European economies are not affected in the long run by the current energy crisis," the Presidential Administration also showed.   Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca will attend a special NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, along with President Klaus Iohannis, according to government spokesman Dan Carbunaru."The summit's agenda will focus on the situation in Ukraine, the aftermath of the Russian invasion, strong support for Ukraine and strengthening NATO's defence and deterrence posture. The participation of US President Joe Biden has also been announced," Carbunaru told a news conference on Wednesday at the Government House.