Interim President Ilie Bolojan left for Paris on Wednesday morning, on a regular flight, to attend a meeting organised at the Elysee Palace, the Presidential Administration reported.

Ilie Bolojan is accompanied by Presidential Advisor for European Affairs Luminita Odobescu.

On Monday, leaders from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark gathered in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, alongside the EU leadership and the NATO Secretary General, to discuss the latest developments related to Ukraine, in the context of peace initiatives launched by the new U.S. administration. According to some EU officials, some countries were dissatisfied that the meeting was only for certain leaders and was not a summit for the entire European Union.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) on Tuesday said that the Paris meeting, held the day before, was initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, in a format known as Weimar Plus.

This included the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the NATO Secretary General, and several heads of state and government from European countries that are major supporters of Ukraine.

„Romania, in its dual capacity as the European neighbour with the longest border with Ukraine and a country that has consistently and from the beginning offered multidimensional support – humanitarian, economic, and military – to its neighbouring country, has a direct interest in continuing the collective European and Euro-Atlantic support for Ukraine, in response to Russia’s brutal and illegal aggression. This has been clearly communicated to the participants, primarily to French President Emmanuel Macron, through diplomatic efforts,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out in a press release.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored that Romania was represented at the meeting through Poland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

„Regional formats such as those proposed and led by Romania, for example the B9 or the Three Seas Initiative, are a common practice. Romania was informed about the content of the discussions. Further meetings are upcoming, in which Romania will participate,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed.

AGERPRES