President Klaus Iohannis supports need for building motorway to link Moldavia with Bucharest

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday voiced his support in Bucharest for the need for building a motorway to link Moldavia with Bucharest. 

He stated, on the occasion of the opening of the new university year, that "beyond education, in order to be able to capitalize on its full potential, Iasi really needs infrastructure to become an important European city." 

A motorway to link Moldavia with the rest of the country and a Pan-European motorway network are absolutely necessary. And the neglecting of the already existing infrastructure must stop. It's inadmissible to have the Bucharest-Iasi distance covered by train in approximately six hours and a half, which is significantly longer than 20 years ago. All these aspects, legislative predictability, a long-term vision in education and research, sustained investments to cover for the infrastructure deficit can contribute of a decisive manner to Iasi regaining its historical role of a regional capital and European development pole," said Iohannis. 

At the same time, the head of the state underscored that Romania is making steps backwards in innovation and research. 

"Times are changing and, normally, we should be prepared to deal with the changes. Unfortunately, reality proves that we aren't. For instance, in the research and innovation field we are making steps backwards because of the modifications that risk to block performance and the increase in the economic competitiveness, with a negative impact in the long run on social welfare. Legislative instability and the lack of clear directions in education determined me to launch the "Educated Romania" project, the conclusions of which I will make public very soon. This project is the result of two years of consultations, discussions and debates involving the main actors in the education field," said the President. 

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday participated in the opening of the university year at the academic centre in Iasi. He answered thus to an invitation extended to him by the Technical University "Gheorghe Asachi' in Iasi, which celebrates 205 years since Gheorghe Asachi established the first class of topographer engineers with teaching in Romanian language here. 

Participating in the event hosted by the "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theatre were also members of the academic community, professors and students from all the five state universities in Iasi.