Romania has acted in solidarity with EU countries regarding sanctions against Russia, Romania’s President Nicusor Dan said on Friday after attending a European summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

„So far, Romania has acted in solidarity with the countries in the European Union, it has joined the sanctions packages, and I believe that moving forward we will do the same. All the time when you talk about sanctions, you also talk about the collateral effects that these sanctions have on the parties in your industry or partner industry,” the president explained at a news conference.

EU countries on Thursday formally adopted a 19th package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine that includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports. They approved the package on Wednesday evening after Slovakia dropped its block, according to the Reuters news agency.

The new sanctions, which the EU unanimously approved even before European leaders attended the European Council in Brussels, include a progressive ban on LNG imports. The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months and long-term contracts from January 1, 2027.

The EU has also decided to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats between EU countries and add 45 companies that help Russia evade sanctions, including 12 from China, three from India and two from Thailand. AGERPRES