Support for Ukraine, emphasized by president Iohannis at European Council

 President Klaus Iohannis conveyed, at the European Council meeting and the Euro Summit in extended format that took place on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, the need for continued support for Ukraine, as long as it will be necessary, and at the same time spoke for the need for a clear and united vision at the EU level on the situation in the Middle East and supporting the importance of avoiding the escalation of the conflict.Referring to the extremely complicated geopolitical context, Iohannis insisted that attention and multidimensional support for Ukraine continue to remain a priority, as long as it will be necessary, the Presidential Administration informed. Thus, the head of state pleaded for maintaining the unity and solidarity of the EU in dealing with the situation in Ukraine, "aspects that must be constantly proven and confirmed through concrete actions".He expressed his support for the adoption of a comprehensive package regarding security commitments for Ukraine and also spoke for the continuation of the policy of sanctions against Russia, but also for the identification of legal solutions for the use of immobilized assets of Russia in the reconstruction process of Ukraine.Also, the president highlighted the complex assistance offered by Romania to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, as well as the consistency of the bilateral dialogue in the last period. The president of Romania emphasized the fact that the constructive approach of our country allowed the consolidation of the transit of Ukrainian grains on Romanian territory through the Solidarity Corridors.He mentioned, at the same time, the fact that both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova need to secure their European path, reiterating the clear expectation regarding the formulation, by the end of the year, of the strategic decision to open accession negotiations to the European Union with both states. Iohannis emphasized the importance of the security and stability of the entire Black Sea region, including the Republic of Moldova, which faces numerous pressures from Russia, and stressed the absolute necessity for the EU to continue providing solid support to the Republic of Moldova.The president of Romania reiterated full support for Israel, which has the legitimate right to defend itself, following terrorist attacks by Hamas, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and underlined Romania's decision to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, where citizens Romanians and other European citizens continue to be blocked.At the same time, he spoke for the need for a clear and unified vision at the EU level on the situation in the region, supporting the importance of avoiding the escalation of the conflict, through a coordinated action with the regional partners and the USA in order to identify a solution to obtain a lasting peace, based on the solution of the two states.Klaus Iohannis spoke in favor of the revision of the EU budget, a revision that would reflect the new pressing challenges of the Union, with an emphasis on Defense spending, supporting competitiveness, research and innovation, as well as the need for support for Ukraine. For this purpose, he emphasized the importance of providing additional financial resources to the EU budget, which can cover all these priorities, so that the initial allocations for the cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, a priority objective for Romania in this review process, are not affected.The president of Romania pleaded for addressing the root causes of migration, stressing the need to strengthen cooperation with the third countries of origin and transit of migrants, at all levels. The President of Romania highlighted the contribution of our country to the protection of the external borders of the Union, including through the project pilot successfully implemented at the common border with Serbia, with the support of the European Commission.The president of Romania supported the consolidation of the Single Market and pleaded for a balanced approach in defining measures in this area. He also insisted on removing all remaining barriers to free movement and ensuring fair competition between member states.