President Klaus Iohannis participated in the European Council meeting where he discussed support for Ukraine, the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and the stability of the Republic of Moldova.
Klaus Iohannis supports Ukraine at the European Council. Photo: Inquam/Octav Ganea
The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, took part on Thursday in the meeting of the European Council held in Brussels, Belgium. According to a statement sent by the Presidential Administration on Thursday evening, the main topics covered included the situation in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, the competitiveness of the European Union and the management of migration. In addition, the European leaders discussed the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, supporting the multilateral system and the rules-based international order, high energy prices and other issues related to the EU’s external relations. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was invited to participate in the opening of the meeting.
“He presented the European leaders with a “plan for victory”, in which he detailed a series of steps necessary to end the conflict no later than 2025. Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the European Council confirmed its support for the formula of Ukrainian peace, based on the UN Charter and international law, emphasizing that no initiative aimed at resolving this conflict should be undertaken without the direct involvement of Ukraine. The European leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and made a staged assessment of the military support provided. Considering the continuation of Russian attacks against the energy and civil infrastructure, the European Council expressed its support for all initiatives, both public and private, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s energy security, in the perspective of winter appropriation. In this sense, the essential role played by Ukraine’s neighboring states in ensuring adequate connectivity to the European energy system was emphasized. The leaders agreed on the need to deliver continuous economic and financial support to Ukraine, in line with the decisions taken at the G7 level, including a loan worth 45 billion Euros (50 billion USD) to strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian state.”the Presidential Administration sent.
President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the importance of the European Union continuing its support for Ukraine on three essential levels: political, military and economic. He also reaffirmed Romania’s support for grain exports from Ukraine and condemned Russian attacks on ports and commercial ships, which endanger global food security.
“The President of Romania welcomed the decision of the leaders to follow through on the commitment made by the EU at the G7 level, in the sense of granting the financial loan to Ukraine. Also, from the perspective of approaching winter, President Klaus Iohannis sounded the alarm about the need to support both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in the energy field, including by advancing the interconnectivity of the two states with the European Union.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the European Council expressed its concern over the escalation of the security situation in the region and appealed to all parties involved to show restraint and immediately cease all hostilities”the Presidential Administration also sent.
The Council strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Israel and the destabilizing activities of terrorist groups in the region. Israel’s right to self-defense was reaffirmed, while emphasizing the need for international humanitarian law to be respected by all parties and calling for an end to the escalation of attacks and reprisals.
“Referring to the complicated geopolitical context in the Middle East, the President of Romania showed that the European Union must remain firmly positioned to contribute to an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon, in support of the mediation efforts of the US and Arab partners . President Klaus Iohannis reiterated Israel’s right to security and self-defense, as well as the need for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, noting the importance of supporting the Palestinian Authority or respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon. In this context, he recalled the humanitarian support offered by Romania to the population of Gaza and Lebanon, including by taking Palestinian children from Gaza to be treated in Romania”the statement also states.
European leaders have expressed their deep concerns over the military escalation in Lebanon, calling for an immediate ceasefire on the Blue Line and the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701. The European Council reaffirmed its support for the UN Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and insisted on the need for Hezbollah’s rocket attacks to stop.
“Considering the commemoration of one year since the dramatic events of October 7, 2023, the European Council strongly condemned the attack on Israel and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and hostages of Hamas. At the same time, the leaders called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the improvement of access and distribution of humanitarian assistance, in line with UNSC Resolution 2735. They also reiterated their commitment to the two-state solution”the cited source also specified.
During the meeting, the security situation in the Red Sea area was also discussed, and a call was launched to the Houthi movement to immediately stop all attacks that disrupt maritime security in the region.
“The European Council also had an exchange of views on strengthening the competitiveness of the Union, in line with the objectives set in the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029. The discussions also focused on increasing the economic resilience of the EU, industrial revitalization and the full exploitation of the potential of the Single Market, the leaders highlighting the importance of the priority approach to the challenges identified in the Letta Report on the future of the Single Market and the Draghi report on the future of European competitiveness.
The President of Romania highlighted the importance of rapid progress towards the definition and implementation of measures to manage the challenges identified in the two reports and, at the same time, pleaded for an integrated approach to efforts to stimulate European competitiveness, in order to ensure tangible results, for the benefit of all EU member states”the quoted statement also states.
President Klaus Iohannis mentioned, as priority elements in future steps, reducing the administrative burden and ensuring a fair competitive environment at the level of the Union, addressing high energy prices and advancing towards the Energy Union, addressing the future of traditional industrial sectors and facilitating their access to innovation.
At the same time, the leaders had a discussion on the topic of high energy prices in certain regions of Europe, inviting the Commission to present a series of measures to remedy the situation.
“The President of Romania emphasized the importance of affordable energy prices from the perspective of stabilizing markets, protecting consumers and stimulating the competitiveness of the business environment. President Klaus Iohannis highlighted, at the same time, the need to stimulate connectivity and remove structural blockages at the level of energy transmission networks.
At the same time, the European Council had a strategic, substantial discussion on the progress made in advancing the comprehensive approach to migration management, according to the lines of action drawn in February 2023″also shows the Presidential Administration.
According to her, the President of Romania “welcomed the expansion of efforts to address the challenges specific to the external dimension of migration and expressed support for the advancement of comprehensive strategic partnerships with third countries in order to reduce the causes of migration, combat migrant trafficking and accelerate illegal migrants”.
“Also, President Klaus Iohannis reconfirmed our country’s commitment to the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact, highlighting the need to respect the balance between solidarity and responsibility that was the basis of its adoption. At the same time, he pointed out the importance of a structural and predictable solution for capitalizing on the opportunities of legal migration.
The European Council reaffirmed its full support for the European path of the Republic of Moldova and for its progress on the path of reforms and stability. The Council also reiterated its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. The heads of state and government from the European Union condemned the interference of the Russian Federation in the democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova and welcomed the adoption of the third package of sanctions against those responsible for actions aimed at undermining the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova“, transmitted the quoted institution.
The President of Romania emphasized the need for the European Union to send a clear message of support for the Republic of Moldova in the European integration process. He emphasized the importance of this support in the context of the Chisinau elections and condemned the Russian Federation’s interference. Klaus Iohannis stated that the European assistance for the Republic of Moldova must be comprehensive, covering the economic, financial and security fields. He also welcomed the recent visit of the President of the European Commission to Chisinau and the launch of the Growth Plan for the Republic of Moldova.
