AGERPRES special correspondent Oana Ghita, reports: Romania’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the food and humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine were among the topics tackled by president Klaus Iohannis at the European Union – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (EU – CELAC) summit, which took place on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels.

In his speeches at the meeting, the Romanian president welcomed the organization of the EU-CELAC summit as „a necessary moment to bring closer some regional communities with predominantly convergent approaches and interests,” the Presidential Administration reads.

Klaus Iohannis said that Romania firmly supports dialogue and constructive cooperation with partners in the region and supports the regular organization of summits between the two blocs. In this context, he recalled the discussions he had with the presidents of Brazil, Chile and Argentina, which „highlighted the common interest of the European Union and Latin America to build the partnership on new, more solid and more current foundations” and which contributed to the preparation of the summit.

President Iohannis presented Romania’s vision on the most effective measures to combat the effects of climate change. He advocated „focusing bi-regional cooperation both on combating the risks caused by climate change more effectively and on seizing the green transition as a new common opportunity.”

The Romanian president emphasized the importance of environmental education and of citizens acquiring new skills adapted to the green transition. He also backed the need to involve the European Union in supporting states with low resilience to disasters and exemplified projects of our country in the field, which can serve as a source of inspiration and institutional strengthening including in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Klaus Iohannis also pleaded for the identification of projects with regional application in this field, within the implementation of the EU – CELAC New Agenda.

The president also presented our perspective on the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine, our multidimensional support and underlined the importance of joint action to defend the rules-based international order.

On the summit’s sidelines, president Iohannis had a meeting with CELAC pro tempore president Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who co-chaired the summit alongside the president of the European Council. The discussions focused on topics of interest for the two regions, as well as topics of bilateral, political-diplomatic and sectoral cooperation.

Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed our country’s commitment to be „an active voice” in the EU-Caribbean relationship, starting from the further development of bilateral relations and support projects in favour of the region that have proven successful in previous years. At bilateral level, Romania’s relationship with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was appreciated as very good, discussing educational opportunities for students, but also opening an honorary consulate in this country.