Studies conducted by the World Bank on the decoupling of electricity prices from gas prices would be useful in making decisions in this regard, President Klaus Iohannis said Tuesday, at a bilateral meeting with the president of the World Bank Group, David R. Malpass, a press release from the Presidential Administration reads, according to Agerpres.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the President’s participation in the high-level segment of the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and follows the dialogue that the two leaders held in Bucharest, on April 13, on the occasion of the reception of the president of the World Bank Group by President Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace.

Regarding the response to the energy crisis, President Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the war on Romania’s borders, triggered by the unprovoked military aggression of Russia against Ukraine, brought to the fore the urgency of finding solutions that, on the one hand, would ensure sufficient energy resources and access to them and, on the other hand, affordable prices for consumers, the source says.

President Iohannis pointed out that Romania was already involved, even before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, in the development of a number of major projects aimed at diversifying energy sources, such as those regarding investments in the southeastern Cernavoda nuclear power plant and in the field of small modular reactors, stressing that the completion of these projects will bring an important contribution to the energy security of Romania and the entire region.

The Presidential Administration says that David Malpass has reconfirmed the World Bank’s commitment to support Romania’s development priorities. The president of the World Bank Group also shared the vision of Klaus Iohannis on the topics discussed during the bilateral meeting, including the areas that must remain at the center of attention in the next period, the quoted source said.

The discussions also addressed the WB’s involvement in ensuring food security, as well as in Ukraine’s support efforts, including in the reconstruction process.

At the end of the discussions, the two parties agreed to continue the cooperation and to maintain the close connection between the World Bank and the Romanian authorities in order to implement the common objectives, an important role in this respect being played by the team of the World Bank in Bucharest.

Agerpres