Romania's Interim President Ilie Bologian said after a meeting of European leaders in Paris dedicated to Ukraine that the country's security is of strategic importance not only for Europe but also for Romania, reports Digi 24 TV, BTA reports.
High-level meetings in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted two key meetings this week focused on the situation in Ukraine, amid peace initiatives by the US administration of Donald Trump to end the nearly three-year war.
The first meeting, held on Monday, was attended by the leaders of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the EU leadership. The second meeting, held yesterday, was attended by the heads of state and government of Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Canada.
Ukraine's security - a priority for Romania
Ilie Bolognese, who is acting president after Klaus Iohannis resigned on February 10, said that the meeting in Paris brought together countries from within and outside the EU that share common values and approaches to the crisis in Ukraine.
„We do not support Ukraine only for humanitarian reasons, but because it is of strategic interest to our country. "The security of Ukraine is the security of Europe and Romania," stressed Bologian.
He pointed out that one of the main conclusions of the meeting was that cooperation between European countries and the United States is the key to achieving not only a ceasefire, but also a lasting and just peace that would prevent new conflicts in the future. According to him, this cannot be achieved without the active participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the peace negotiations.
Bilateral meeting with Macron
During his visit to Paris, Bologian held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. After the conversation, he announced that France's military presence in Romania would be strengthened in the coming period.
France is the "framework country" of the NATO Battle Group, which was deployed in Romania in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.