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Romania and Lithuania support the elimination of the European Union's energy dependency, said, on Friday, President Klaus Iohannis after the meeting had with the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, currently on a visit to Bucharest.
"As regards the topic of energy, Romania and Lithuania support the elimination of the Union's energy dependence. A joint concern is also the attenuation of the impact of high energy prices on consumers and we will continue dialogue regarding the measures necessary to protect European citizens," said the head of state.
He added that Romania fully supports the integration of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia in the EU.
President Iohannis reiterated that the Republic of Moldova needs substantial direct financial assistance, both to manage the refugee flow it is facing, as well as to consolidate its energy security, public finances and to implement the ambitious reforms it assumed.
"Romania will host in Bucharest, together with Germany and France, the second edition of the Conference of the International Moldova Support Platform, in order to work on the commitments already made by participating states and we have invited Lithuania to be involved," said Iohannis.
The head of state also reiterated the necessity of strengthening the NATO's deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern Flank, in the long-term, especially regarding the Black Sea.
He also referred to Romania's decision to resume participation in 2023 in NATO air policing missions in the Baltic area, the base for executing the missions to be hosted by Lithuania.
"This measure represents a responsible contribution of Romania to strengthening Allied collective security and proof of solidarity with the states in this region," said the head of state.
Discussions between the two officials also referred to deepening cooperation within the Bucharest 9 format and the Three Seas Initiative. In context, President Iohannis reiterated the importance Romania grants to the accomplishment of interconnection projects Rail2Sea and Via Carpathia.
The head of state thanked his Lithuanian counterpart for the constant support of his country for Romania's strategic objectives, such as accession to the Schengen Area, as well as the OECD.
President Iohannis also showed that bilateral trade with Lithuania is on the rise and there is potential.
"We must make additional efforts, including from the perspective of reciprocal investments. We have efficient cooperation in domains such as defence, internal affairs and research and we may extend this cooperation in other sectorial domains, such as innovative technologies or energy security," the head of state added.AGERPRES
