UPDATE President Iohannis: Romania has been, is and will be most constant, dedicated supporter of R. Moldova

Romania has been, is and will be the most constant and dedicated supporter of the Republic of Moldova, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday. The head of state welcomed at the Cotroceni Palace Presidential Maia Sandu, the Moldovan premier. At the end of the meeting, President Iohannis said that this is the first external visit of Prime Minister Maia Sandu after taking office. "It is very important and symbolic that this first visit takes place in Bucharest. (...) Romania has supported the peaceful transfer of power which ended the political crisis," affirmed Iohannis, who held a joint press statement with the Moldovan premier . The head of state has shown that Romania is willing to offer "assistance dedicated to strengthening the institutions of the Republic of Moldova." In this sense, he pointed out, a group of experts will be created. Iohannis stressed that Romania will support "the unblocking of financial assistance for the Republic of Moldova" at European level. The two officials also discussed strategic energy interconnection projects. "Our approach in the carrying out of bilateral projects will be centered on the need to ensure the prosperity of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and Chisinau's rapprochement to the European Union. I strongly believe that the European Union - in line with the commitments made to the Republic of Moldova, through the Eastern Partnership, through the global strategy of the European Union - has to rise to the level of the Moldovan citizens, who mostly expressed their support for the European agenda, as confirmed in the 2019 parliamentary elections," Iohannis said. On the issue of the conflict in the Transnistrian region, the head of state spoke about "respecting the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders". AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Bogdan Gabaroi)