At its meeting on Tuesday, the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) examined and approved the proposals of the Ministry of Energy for the improvement of Romania’s energy resilience, shielding the population and ensuring the continuity of electricity and gas supplies at prices that do not burden the citizens, the Presidential Administration announced, according to Agerpres.

The assessment of the region’s energy and transport connectivity opportunities was a point on the CSAT agenda.

Other subjects approached at the meeting were the stimulation of short- and medium-term investments in the development of onshore and offshore natural gas production, the short-term use of all coal-based energy resources for overcoming the current energy crisis, increasing the extraction capacity from underground gas storage facilities, as well as the materialization of the dialogue with external partners to ensure access to alternative gas sources in Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, the USA and Saudi Arabia.

CSAT members concluded that both the introduction of 4th generation small modular nuclear reactors, as well as the reinforcement of the electricity and natural gas transport infrastructure are very important in the medium term.

The main point on the CSAT meeting’s agenda was the analysis of the Ukraine war and its implications for Romania.

„The consequences of the conflict triggered by the Russian Federation against a sovereign state are also felt in the extended Black Sea region, affecting the states in the region, as well as the Euro-Atlantic and global security as a whole,” the release states.

In this context, the Council discussed the support Romania will continue to provide to Ukraine.

Proposals for countering the potential threats were examined, so that peace in the Black Sea region is maintained and the expansion of the conflict is prevented. These proposals mainly envisage the implementation of all the decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid, strengthening the armed forces, increasing the number of Allied exercises on Romania’s territory, intensifying the dialogue with Turkey, Bulgaria and Georgia regarding the security of the Black Sea, as well as capitalizing on economic and interconnectivity opportunities in the extended Black Sea region.

The CSAT members reaffirmed Romania’s top priority of strengthening national security and defense, the Presidential Administration also points out.

The implementation of international sanctions was also discussed, from the perspective of Romania’s interests, with an emphasis on the restrictive measures adopted against the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

Agerpres