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While not directly, we would still help Moldova in case of military conflict, says Iohannis.
President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday told a press conference held in the Republic of Moldova, that, given its membership in NATO, Romania cannot provide "direct military" support to Moldova, in the event of an extension of the conflict in Ukraine, it could still help with equipping or improving the troops, told Agerpres.
Asked if Romania could provide a security umbrella for the Republic of Moldova in such a situation, the head of state stated that Romania can provide logistical support.
"I would be tempted to ask you what a security umbrella means, because Romania is in NATO and Moldova is a neutral state, so I don't see any way to intervene in a conflict, directly, with troops, but we can still intervene to improve the Moldovan troops, to train them, to help them with equipment, as we did in the past too. So, there are many ways in which we can and we do help Moldova," stated Klaus Iohannis.
Regarding how the security guarantees for Ukraine would work, Iohannis said that these issues are still under discussion and will be debated at the future NATO Summit.
"This is a matter that we are still discussing between us and it will be one of the central topics at the NATO Summit, so I would not like to go into any details now, but I can tell you that it is (...) an important topic," said the President of Romania.
Klaus Iohannis also referred to the accession process of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, stating that it is a complex one and depends on the sustained effort of the authorities.
"If everyone strives, then it can be achieved in a couple of years, but look, for example, in the Western Balkans, where they have had ups and downs. I very much hope that the administration of the Republic of Moldova will remain on an upswing constantly. I remember what the procedure was like when Romania applied to become a member state and how complicated the negotiations were. We must not have any illusions. These accession negotiations are very complex. From an administrative point of view, sometimes you have the impression that it is over, but they are necessary to guarantee that everyone is on the same level. (...) I really want the accession negotiations to start within a year, and for that we are helping the administration of the Republic of Moldova to prepare for these negotiations. Of course, it depends to a relatively small extent on Romania, it depends on the progress made by the Moldovan administration and how the steps that have been taken are seen in Brussels, but I am optimistic. When the process ends of accession, that is very difficult to evaluate," said Iohannis.
