President Klaus Iohannis declared on Wednesday, before the extraordinary meeting of the European Council, that coordinated efforts at the European level must be intensified and urgent “on the military support level” for Ukraine.
Klaus Iohannis. PHOTO Presidency
“Russia's aerial attacks on civilian targets, as well as those in the energy sector, show us once again that we must intensify and expedite coordinated efforts at the European level on the military support level. We also have in mind the broader situation in the Middle East. I will also reiterate at the level of the European Council the condemnation of Iran's recent attack on Israel. Romania is fully in solidarity with Israel and I will reaffirm our commitment to its security and sovereignty“, said Iohannis during a press conference.
The head of state mentioned that issues related to the stimulation of competitiveness at the European level will also be addressed during the European Council meeting.
“We discuss concrete directions of action to be more efficient, more productive and more competitive”
Klaus Iohannis showed that the current situation determined “an in-depth reflection on the relevance of the European Union at the global level, including from an economic perspective”.
“In this sense, this time, we are going beyond the traditional discussion at the spring Council meetings regarding competitiveness and the internal market, and we are discussing concrete directions of action to be more efficient, more productive and more competitive. They are solutions that we identify to stimulate the European economy and yes, to raise the level of well-being of our European citizens“, detailed Iohannis.
The President also stated that the European leaders from the Council are formally launching the process of defining a new European Pact for competitiveness.
“We are primarily looking at how we can improve and adapt the Single Market, to ensure that this engine of the Union's growth and prosperity remains a fully functional one. In line with Romania's interests, I will continue to support the elimination of obstacles of any kind – legislative or free movement – for our citizens and companies and ensuring conditions of fair competition or healthy competition within the Union. Obviously, the remark about free movement refers to Schengen”Klaus Iohannis pointed out.
According to the president, the European agricultural sector is “crucial” for competitiveness objectives.
“We will return to the strategic priorities of the post-2024 Union, in the preparation exercise of what we call the EU Strategic Agenda for the period 2024-2029. In this sense, the consultations with some member states, which I hosted recently together with the President of the European Council, in Bucharest, represented a very important step in this direction”the head of state mentioned.
Klaus Iohannis is participating, on Wednesday and Thursday, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council, held in Brussels.
