Romania supports the Republic of Moldova in terms of electricity problems and stressed that the direct interconnections between the two countries need to be improved, as they are insufficient, on Thursday said president Klaus Iohannis, after meeting his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda, Agerpres reports.

„Obviously, we are helping the Republic of Moldova. Up to this point we have delivered everything needed, namely everything we were asked for, but these syncopes in the electricity supply appear for a very clear reason. (…) The direct interconnections between Romania and the Republic of Moldova are totally insufficient. This aspect has been neglected for years and at the moment even if Romania provides electricity to Moldova a significant part goes through Ukraine and is as such exposed to these attacks. There is only one solution: more and better interconnections need to be made, direct interconnections between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, and the same applies to gas and road transport. I don’t want to try to explain why they haven’t been achieved so far, the fact is that we are willing to help the Republic of Moldova, but the lack of interconnections of all kinds is a real problem at the moment. There are plans, they are dealt with and we hope that in a short time, not in a few weeks, but in a relatively short time these issues will be clearly improved, because in the medium and longer term perspective we can help the Republic of Moldova in an efficient way only to the extent to which these interconnections are completed,” the president said.

The Romanian president was asked if Romania can support the Republic of Moldova with electricity in the long term. Moreover, the two presidents were asked whether Russia’s repeated attacks in Ukraine should hasten the adoption of the ninth package of sanctions against Russia and whether they should explicitly contain sanctions against Russia’s missile industry.

President Iohannis said that he discussed with his Lithuanian counterpart about the new EU sanctions package regarding Russia, stressing that firmer sanctions are needed.

„Firmer measures are needed from our side and we are working on such approaches, but at the moment when we speak we are not in a position to detail what these would consist of. When we will have clarity about a new package of sanctions, the information will be made public,” Iohannis stressed.

For his part, the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, pleaded for stronger sanctions against Russia.

Our goal and our duty is to help Ukraine as much as we can, both financially and economically, but also to punish the aggressor. Step-by-step policy, I mean sanctions now, does not always achieve its goals. Sanctions policy sometimes has a greater effect on our economies. (…) The effects of these sanctions that exist at the moment should be considered and further steps taken. Lithuania has always been of the opinion to support the strongest sanctions. The next package should be approved as soon as possible and it should be a decisive step forward, including with regard to the Russian weapons industry and banks and Rusatom, which is a direct participant in this aggression against Ukraine, not to mention, for example, the judges of the Constitutional Court, all those who contribute and have contributed to the criminal activities of this regime in Ukraine. We believe that we will find the necessary solidarity between the member states, Gitanas Nauseda said.

President Klaus Iohannis pays an official visit to Lithuania.

Agerpres