The Black Sea region has long been „the main target for Russia’s aggressive behaviour”, stated President Klaus Iohannis, on Monday, while mentioning that there is need of policies in the long run for Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, according to Agerpres.

He made the statements in the context of the debut of the Munich Leaders Meeting, which is a format of the Munich Security Conference, which takes place prior to the prior to the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Bucharest.

„The Black Sea region has long been the main target for Russia’s aggressive behaviour and probing to our commitment to regional security and stability. We have seen it with the war in Ukraine. Furthermore, countries such as the Republic of Moldova and Georgia are the most vulnerable to the consequences of this war. We need to develop long term policies of support for Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. Our support should ensure that this countries become self-sustainable and able to counter hybrid challenges,” stated President Iohannis.

He recalled that Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova were granted European Union candidate status, while Georgia’s European perspectives were also recognized.

„Romania has traditionally been one of the biggest advocate of closer ties between the European Union and these countries. In support of the Republic of Moldova, we have also launched, together with Germany and France, the Moldova Support Platform, to mobilise financial assistance from the international community and to support the reforms required for the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union. At the same time, Romania supplies between 80 and 90 percent of the Republic of Moldova’s electricity needs,” said Iohannis.

According to him, the NATO Summit in Madrid was „a turning point for a stronger and more coherent” deterrence and defence on the Eastern Flank of NATO. Thus, the New Strategic Concept acknowledged the Black Sea region as a region of great strategic importance for the Alliance, as Romania has been advocating for a long time.

„An adequate response to the challenges we all face must be built around the goal of enhancing the resilience of allies, EU member states, but also of our vulnerable partners, especially in the Black Sea region. I am happy to see that the regional cooperation formats such as Bucharest 9 and the Three Seas Initiative have brought their substantial contribution to it. I use this opportunity to express gratitude to our allies and friends who proved their unity and solidarity by ensuring the most substantial allied military presence until now in the Black Sea region and on the entire Eastern Flank,” President Klaus Iohannis specified.

The head of state underscored that the „benefits” of a long term Transatlantic cooperation must be considered.

„By blending cooperation and complementarity, we will ensure the successful adaptation of the transatlantic relation to today’s realities, challenges and opportunities. As a prerequisite, we need to guarantee the security and stability of the Black Sea region as a whole,” Iohannis pointed out.

Agerpres