President Klaus Iohannis drew attention on Thursday, at the fifth Summit of the European Political Community (EPC), to the fact that migration remains an important challenge at the European level, which requests a common and comprehensive response and reiterated that for Romania accession to Schengen is not only a political objective, but a firm commitment to the European project.

The agenda of the meeting in Budapest included, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration, a plenary session dedicated to the security challenges facing Europe, with an emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, as well as discussions in working groups, in a restricted format, on issues related to migration and economic security.

„The discussions of the leaders during the plenary session evoked the significant impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the entire continent, but also at the global level, underlining the need for a coordinated action at the European level to continue supporting Ukraine, which is fighting for the defense of independence, sovereignty and its territorial integrity. The President of Romania participated in the discussions in a restricted format on the subject of migration. In his intervention, President Klaus Iohannis drew attention to the fact that migration remains an important challenge at the European level, which requires an answer common and comprehensive, both internally and in relation to the countries of origin and transit. The President of Romania emphasized the need for a constant approach to this challenge which is at the center of political debates in many European states, as developments regarding migration continue to be worrisome against the background of the conflict in the Middle East and the continuation of the war in Ukraine”, the cited source informs.

President Klaus Iohannis evoked a series of important priorities in the European action in the management of migration for the next period.

„Thus, the President of Romania emphasized the importance of an effective implementation at the EU level of the Pact on migration, a tool that can also prove useful in the relationship with partners outside the EU. At the same time, he mentioned that Romania is already implementing some of the provisions of the Pact, through the pilot-project carried out at the border with Serbia, which proved to be an example of good practices in terms of returns, asylum procedures and the prevention of illegal migration. Also, President Klaus Iohannis referred to the importance of regional operational cooperation, which proves to be equally measure, an effective instrument of action, highlighting the recent experience of the projects that Romania carries out together with other European partners (Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia) and with the European Commission, with a view to the efficient management of migration”, the Presidential Administration reports.

Iohannis emphasized that Romania remains engaged both in the implementation of effective measures in terms of migration management, as well as in ensuring the security of the external borders of the EU and in fully assuming its role as a member state that applies the Schengen acquis.

As to the methods of long-term approach to the phenomenon of migration, the President referred to the importance of using in a coherent and coordinated manner all the tools available to the EU and the member states, including through the development of common methods of action in areas such as development assistance, combating organized crime, early warning mechanisms and monitoring.

„The President of Romania said that it is essential to manage migration in connection with internal security and thus emphasized that our country ensures a consolidated protection of the external borders of the EU, with substantial results in controlling and preventing illegal migration. In this context, President Klaus Iohannis pointed out the need to restore trust in the successful projects of the Union, such as the Schengen area, through a common and efficient action of the member states. In this sense, he reiterated that for Romania the completion of the Schengen accession process is not only a political objective important at the national level, but also reflects the firm commitment to the European project”, according to the cited source.

On the sidelines of the EPC Summit, a meeting dedicated to supporting the Republic of Moldova was held, attended by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the leaders from Romania, France, Italy, Poland, Great Britain, as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

The President of Romania congratulated Sandu, together with the other leaders, for the result in the recent elections, expressing his appreciation for the reform efforts of the last period, materialized in constant progress, despite the challenges generated by threats and interferences from Russia, which intensified in the electoral context. President Klaus Iohannis also emphasized the need to maintain the alert pace of reforms, the high degree of institutional vigilance, as well as the application of the lessons learned during the current elections and in the perspective of the 2025 parliamentary elections.

„Also, Romania once again expressed its appreciation for the positive result of the constitutional referendum, which will allow the inclusion of the objective of joining the European Union in the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. The President of Romania pleaded for continued support from the EU and the states members and partners in favor of the Republic of Moldova, the participating European leaders reaffirming their commitment to continue this support for the Republic of Moldova to achieve its goals of peace and democracy. President Klaus Iohannis referred, in a broader context, to maintaining support for the European democracies that are subject to outside interference, visible including in the case of electoral processes such as those recently carried out in the Republic of Moldova or Georgia”, the press release also states.

At the end of the meeting, the participating leaders adopted a joint statement by which they welcome the results of the referendum and the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, pledging, at the same time, to the continuation of the necessary support so that the country can continue the reforms and the fight against external interference.

The President of Romania had, on the sidelines of the EPC Summit, a bilateral meeting with the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), Alain Berset, who took over the mandate in September 2024. During the discussions, the Secretary General of the CoE presented the priorities of his mandate, with emphasis on the revitalization of democracy and support for Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. President Klaus Iohannis assured that our country fully supports the Organization and its values and will remain actively involved on all levels of priority actions, for effective multilateralism.

AGERPRES