The president of Romania, Nicu\u0219or Dan, took part\u00a0in the first trilateral high-level meeting between Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine\u00a0on the sidelines of the Ukraine \u2013 Southeast Europe summit in Odessa. During the meeting, he talked with counterparts Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu about energy and logistics interconnections, cross-border connectivity, security and combating hybrid threats.<\/p>\n
The Romanian president said that the collaboration between the three countries reflects their firm commitment to strengthen the stability, security, and the European path of the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur meeting takes place against the backdrop of recent discussions about what a just, lasting, and complete peace in Ukraine should look like. Ukraine has always preferred to bring peace,\u201d declared Nicu\u0219or Dan, cited by Digi24<\/a>.<\/p>\n In turn, Zelensky thanked on all leaders and partners who gathered in Odessa for the fourth Ukraine\u2013Southeast Europe summit, stating that their presence is a clear and united message against Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cThe security of Southeast Europe and the Black Sea is indivisible. This has been evident to Ukraine since 2014 and became clear to the entire continent in 2022. However, even today, we are forced to fight not only for our country but also to ensure that this reality becomes the cornerstone of a new regional policy,\u201d stated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.\u00a0<\/p>\n Maia Sandu drew attention to the crucial parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova, which will take place this year. Sandu also added that unity between Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine means safety.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Chi\u0219in\u0103u, Kyiv, and Bucharest act together, we can build more than infrastructure or joint projects, we can provide safety for our people, hope for a peaceful future, and a clear path toward a united, free, and democratic Europe,\u201d Maia Sandu said.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the fourth Ukraine \u2013 Southeast Europe Summit, several leaders, including Nicu\u0219or Dan, condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cWe strongly condemn the brutal war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine,\u201d reads the joint declaration issued by the Ukrainian presidency, which was not signed by Serbian president Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107, who was nonetheless present. The declaration was signed by president Nicu\u0219or Dan, as well as the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece, and representatives from other Balkan countries.<\/p>\n The signatories of the declaration reiterated their \u201ccommitment to providing comprehensive and lasting support to Ukraine and its people for as long as needed\u201d and called on \u201call nations to refrain from providing any form of material or other assistance to Russia\u2019s war effort.\u201d<\/p>\n The declaration also cites \u201cthe complete withdrawal of Russian forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.\u201d Finally, signatory countries support \u201cUkraine on its irreversible path of full Euro-Atlantic integration, including accession to NATO,\u201d and call for strengthening sanctions against Moscow.\u00a0<\/p>\n