Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmîhal pays visit to Romania

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmîhal, is visiting Romania on Friday. He met Romanian counterpart, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu discussing the aid given by Romania to Ukraine, but also about grain transit.

Also, the two officials talked about the situation of Romanian farmers and the protection of the Romanian minority in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Şmîhal signed a political declaration regarding the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in ensuring the reliable transit of goods from Ukraine. Ciolacu and Şmîhal also initialed two agreements regarding the mutual recognition of study documents and the opening of a new border crossing point between the two countries, at Sighetu Marmaţiei, respectively Bila Tserkva.

“The Government and I will continue to provide full and consistent support to Ukraine. We are united against Russia’s military aggression and acts of barbarism. This senseless conflict must stop. We offer full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes until Ukraine wins. We are going through an extremely complicated period, with unprecedented challenges for the security of our continent and the entire world. We must stand firm for this fight. It is also for protecting our way of life and our fundamental values ​​related to democracy and freedom, and I am glad that the Romanian people understood these things from the first moment and showed incredible solidarity with Ukraine. We must defend Ukraine’s right to sovereignly decide on the future, because an independent, sovereign, democratic, free, prosperous Ukraine is in Romania’s strategic interest. We made an inventory of the security implications for the Republic of Moldova, given the challenges of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea region. I reiterated the fact that the natural place of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine is in the European family. Romania strongly supports a political decision, until the end of the year, for the opening of the accession negotiations to the European Union with both states”, stated the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

He also added that he assured the Ukrainian prime minister that Romania will be involved in the same way as before in facilitating Ukrainian grain exports to international markets. “Through Romania we hope to transit over 60% of the total volume of grain exports from Ukraine. We emphasized the importance of collaboration between our countries, as well as with our international partners. I welcomed the decisions from the discussion in Galați. We set an ambitious target, doubling the volume of Ukrainian grain transit to Romania from two million tons per month to four million tons. Together with him, I signed a political declaration on strengthening bilateral cooperation and ensuring the transit of goods from Ukraine”, Ciolacu also said.

Ciolacu asks equal rights for the Romanians in Ukraine

Also, PM Ciolacu requested equal rights and freedoms for Romanians in Ukraine, as well as the recognition of the non-existence of so-called “Moldovan” languages ​​and to adopt all legal and administrative measures accordingly. The Head of the Romanian Government reminded Şmîhal that the Republic of Moldova recently adopted a normative act by which it recognizes the official language as Romanian. “Regarding the subject of the rights of the persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine, I brought to the attention of the Prime Minister the legitimate concerns of Romania in this field. I reminded Romania’s firm position on this subject. We showed that we expect openness and involvement from the Ukrainian authorities – as is normal between two states linked by such a strong solidarity”, explained Marcel Ciolacu, in a joint press statement held on Friday at the Victoria Palace, with his counterpart Ukrainian Denis Shmîhal.

The Romanian Prime Minister added that “our requests are natural and reasonable”. “We want for the Romanians in Ukraine exactly the same rights and freedoms enjoyed by the people belonging to the Ukrainian minority in Romania. I count on the involvement of Prime Minister Şmîhal, so that our message reaches all levels of the Ukrainian administration”, Ciolacu said. He also stated that he asked his Ukrainian counterpart to recognize the non-existence of the “Moldovan” language.

Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu had previously confirmed at the beginning of the Government meeting. the visit of the Ukrainian Prime Minister. “We will discuss issues related to regional security in the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, we will also address our efforts, Romania’s, regarding the transit of Ukrainian grains to ensure access to food at this moment worldwide, but also issues that they belong to the bilateral agenda for the protection of Romanian farmers and the rights of Romanian minorities in Ukraine. Mr. Prime Minister is already on the territory of Romania”, said Marcel Ciolacu at the beginning of the government meeting.