President Maia Sandu made a joint press statement with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday, November 23, at the Cotroceni Palace.

Over the years, Chișinău and Bucharest have done many good things together and I am convinced that we can do even more. Today I am in Bucharest to reaffirm this consistent relationship between our countries and to set new goals for bilateral cooperation, said the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu.

We have a dense agenda, full of challenges, but also of opportunities. Romania has shown that it remains permanently close to Moldova and I am convinced that together, through our combined efforts, we will advance the European agenda and reforms, said the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.

Maia Sandu said that an important aspect, on which the future of Moldova depends, is energy security.

In this context, we welcome the completion of the Iași-Ungheni-Chișinău gas pipeline. From October 1, it became operational and proved its usefulness in the October energy crisis. The next priority on our common agenda is the interconnection of electricity systems – a strategic project for Moldova. For the Isaccea-Vulcănești-Chișinău line, the works will start very soon. We remain interested in the realization of the interconnection project for the Suceava-Bălți power lines. We also support the entry of Romanian electricity companies into the market of Moldova, which will stimulate competition in a market still dominated by monopolies.

Another very important project is the construction of the road bridge over the Prut at Ungheni, mentioned the President of Moldova.

It will connect us more easily both to Iași and to the highway that will connect eastern Romania with the European Union. The draft agreement has already been drafted by the Romanian side and we hope that we will move quickly in terms of construction or renovation of other bridges across the Prut – it is for the benefit of the economy, but also of the people on both banks.

Maia Sandu said that “we have a unique opportunity to move quickly on the implementation of these, but also other projects of major importance for Moldova and that will bring us even closer.”

From now on, we count on Romania’s support on a bilateral level, but also on its important voice within the European Union. European integration is a major goal of Moldova, which we can achieve with the support of our friends in Bucharest.

“This year we had an extremely intense bilateral dialogue, on all levels,” said, in turn, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.

“Cooperation on the governmental and parliamentary level has seen a revival, and members of the executive have already had numerous meetings in which they discussed sectoral priorities. Cooperation continues at an intense pace and at the moment. All this shows that we are taking advantage of the opportunities for in-depth bilateral cooperation at the presidential, governmental and parliamentary levels, in order to advance the bilateral agenda and the path of European integration of Moldova.”

Klaus Iohannis mentioned that in today’s discussions with the President of Moldova he emphasized, once again, that Moldova enjoys overwhelming, lasting, and cross-party support in Bucharest.

“We are all dedicated to strengthening the bilateral Strategic Partnership for the European integration of Moldova and advancing the reform processes.”

Romania and Moldova have a particularly rich agenda for the next period, says Klaus Iohannis.

I discussed today with President Maia Sandu all the areas in which we have joint, impactful projects, especially in terms of energy interconnection and strengthening energy security, development of transport infrastructure, prospects for continuing to provide non-reimbursable assistance to Moldova through a new Agreement, development of communications and cooperation in the field of education. We also discussed at length the European agenda of Moldova, including in the perspective of the future Eastern Partnership Summit in December. We want it to result in a strong commitment to the most ambitious and advanced Eastern partners in implementing reforms, such as Moldova.

At the same time, on the agenda of discussions was the issue of regional security, but also the Transnistrian conflict.

We are concerned about the security climate on the Black Sea. Regarding the Transnistrian case, we reiterated our well-known position: Romania supports a comprehensive, peaceful, and lasting settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders and without affecting its European future, said the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.

President Maia Sandu, together with Cristina Gherasimov, Secretary-General of the Presidency and Sorina Ștefârță, Councilor for Public Communication, pays an official visit to Romania on Tuesday, November 23, at the invitation of her counterpart in Bucharest.

• Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Nicu Popescu Signed Together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Bogdan Aurescu the Roadmap on Priority Areas of Cooperation between Moldova and Romania
• Maia Sandu, Together with Several Ministers, will Pay a Visit to Bucharest on November 23th