Free and transparent elections are the foundation of our European democracies, Foreign Affairs Minister Emil Hurezeanu said on Thursday at an event in Bucharest dedicated to the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union, one of whose priorities, he mentioned in context, is that of combating hybrid attacks at the EU level.
„Enhancing democratic resilience is a top priority: free and transparent elections are the foundation of our European democracies. In the current context marked by the interference of foreign actors in democratic processes, the focus of the Polish Presidency [of the Council of the EU – editor’s note] on combating foreign interference and disinformation is welcome. It is important to stand united against hybrid attacks that undermine our democracies. This issue must be a priority on the EU and national agendas,” said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.
Minister Hurezeanu called for transatlantic partnership and continued support for war-torn Ukraine.
„There is no substitute for the transatlantic partnership in the current geopolitical context (…) It is in our common interest to ensure solid and consistent transatlantic support for Ukraine and for strengthening the democratic resilience of the Republic of Moldova,” the foreign affairs minister said.
Emil Hurezeanu pointed out that „we must ensure that Ukraine remains a priority at the EU level and at the same time remind international partners why support for Ukraine is important”.
At the same time, he stressed that the Republic of Moldova must be a priority on the EU agenda in the long term, recalling Romania’s support for the neighboring country, especially in the context of the energy crisis and Moldova’s EU membership aspirations.
The foreign affairs minister said that Romania is focusing attention on strengthening the EU’s international profile in the area of defence and security in complete synergy and complementarity with NATO.
„We must strengthen EU security, including by stabilizing the Eastern neighbourhood and ensuring sustainable security in the wider Black Sea region,” he added.
The Polish Ambassador to Romania, Pawel Soloch, said that one of the priorities of his country’s presidency for the first six months of the year is Defence, under the motto „Security, Europe!”, in times of „great uncertainty and worries”.
Thus, he mentioned Russia’s war against Ukraine, hybrid attacks and geopolitical tensions.
„Creating a more secure neighborhood is closely linked to defence preparedness. If Europe wants to survive, it must be armed. In this context, Poland allocates almost 5% of its GDP to Defence”, the Polish diplomat said, adding that EU efforts in this area must be complementary to those at the allied level.
Referring to countering hybrid attacks in the region, Pawel Soloch affirmed that „resistance to foreign interference and disinformation is our priority”.
He pointed out that „hybrid attacks, including cyber attacks, propaganda campaigns and deliberate manipulation of information, are extremely sophisticated today”, phenomena that require a „coordinated, resilient response”.
„We cannot remain helpless in the face of lies and disinformation, especially now, when they have become a weapon in the hands of those who are trying to destabilize our democracies. We have to find ways to make it impossible for them to interfere in our election processes, in our democracies, especially the Russian factory of disinformation and lies,” the Polish ambassador in Bucharest added.
AGERPRES
