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Romania remains "strongly" committed to the joint effort to provide humanitarian assistance for as long as needed, Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode told a joint news conference on Thursday with visiting European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic.
"Romania is strengthening the response and resilience capacity of its civil protection system on a daily basis and remains strongly committed to the joint effort to provide humanitarian assistance for as long as needed," Bode said after a visit to the National Response Coordination and Management Centre at Ciolpani.
According to the minister, Commissioner Lenarcic's visit to Romania is further proof of the European Union's commitment to supporting Ukraine and the countries affected by the humanitarian crisis, Agerpres.ro informs.
"Working with the European Commission is excellent and I would like to thank the commissioner for his support to managing the response to the ongoing crisis. I have welcomed the decisions taken by the European Commission related to the crisis in Ukraine and I very much appreciate the Commission's coordination with the EU member states. After a two-year pandemic, Europe and the world are facing a major challenge. Armed aggression and the threat of war are long gone, and there is absolutely no justification for them," Bode said.
He underscored that Romania is with the Ukrainian people who are resisting "heroically the military aggression from the Russian Federation," and it provides humanitarian support to those fleeing the war. He added that Romania plays an important role in managing the humanitarian crisis in the region, being a key player in the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
"Romania is managing the longest border with Ukraine among the EU member states and it is at the forefront of humanitarian assistance with the commissioning of the humanitarian assistance hub for Ukraine at European level in Suceava. This is the expression of the solidarity that the whole of Europe has been showing these days towards all those who are experiencing a humanitarian tragedy caused by the military aggression against Ukraine. Romania is fully committed to this humanitarian endeavour," said Bode.
Lenarcic visited the Suceava hub on Wednesday, when it became operational.
"During the meeting, we asked the Commissioner for support so that we can ensure that part of the European funds made available will go for civil protection, because the frontline states have to bear huge costs amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis. I have informed the commissioner that we have provided the legal framework for providing support to people in need coming from Ukraine," said Bode.
He also highlighted the involvement of Romanian and international non-governmental organisations in crisis management.
At the level of the Romanian government, the amounts that Romania has spent on supporting refugees are inventoried, the minister specified.
"The government has allocated 204 million lei for expenses related to the management of mobile camps, accommodation fees, expenses related to food. All these expenses will be reimbursed. We are in the process of approving a government decision establishing these very reimbursment mechanisms. We are talking about the first 40 million euros already allocated from the Reserve Fund to the budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that will be refunded from the European mechanisms in force," Bode explained.
Lenarcic visited a civil protection centre in Suceava and the Siret border crossing point on Wednesday. On Thursday in Bucharest, the Commissioner met Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and local administration officials, NGOs and volunteers working together to receive refugees.
