Event at Palace of Parliament two years after outbreak of war in Ukraine

A round table on "730 days of war at the heart of Europe: consequences, realities and perspectives at regional and global level" was organised on Tuesday by Union of the Ukrainians of Romania in partnership with the parliamentary group of the national minorities.

The event at the Palace of Parliament was preceded by the opening of the photo exhibition "730 days of war at the heart of Europe: war in pictures", told Agerpres.

"Romania and the Romanian people came to the support of Ukraine since the first days of the invasion. Moreover, the Romanian Parliament has condemned in the strongest terms the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. Romania is certainly a reliable partner for Ukraine, offering multidimensional support in this regard (...) We will certainly have to continue to show the same unity, regardless of the complicated situation we are going through," said Nicolae-Miroslav Petretchi, President of the Union of the Ukrainians of Romania.

A message was conveyed to the participants by prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, who pointed out that the war of aggression started by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is contrary to international principles, treaties and rules of law.

By triggering this conflict, the prime minister said in the message, the Russian Federation represents "the most serious threat" to security in the region and the European Union, where the sovereignty of a people is threatened by external forces that are simultaneously trying to undermine stability and security.

"This war is not just a dispute between Ukraine and Russia, but a confrontation between democracy and dictatorship," prime minister Ciolacu said, reaffirming Romania's firm commitment to stand by Ukraine as long as necessary, namely in the reconstruction process and during its European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Titus Corlatean, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Senate, stressed the importance of the role that the Romanian state has played over the last two years in maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and independence in the face of the Russian aggression, while Social Democrat MP Daniel Suciu, vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, recalled that two years ago, together with some colleagues from Bistrita, he helped over 1,000 people with children cross the border into Romania.

The event was also attended and addressed by the Ukrainian ambassador in Bucharest, Ihor Prokopchuk, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department for Interethnic Relations, parliamentarians, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Bucharest.