Foreign Minister Bohdan Aurescu emphasized that the North Atlantic Alliance will continue to be with Ukraine, and at the meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member countries, which will take place next week in Bucharest, the allies will discuss ways to strengthen the assistance provided to Kyiv, reports Agerpres.

In an interview with the National Press Agency Agerpres, the head of Romanian diplomacy noted that at the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO member states, which will take place next week in Bucharest, “an important dimension of the discussions between the allies will concern specific methods of consolidating political support for Ukraine, including through strengthening dialogue and consultations with allies in response to the security challenges faced by the authorities in Kyiv in the face of increasing brutal Russian aggression.”

Bohdan Aurescu noted that “the allies will analyze the ways of consolidating the significant aid offered to Ukraine, including to support the operational efforts of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as in the medium and long term, supporting efforts to modernize the defense.” sector, to strengthen interoperability in the long term, as well as the reconstruction process and the course of reforms.”

“Of course, the strengthening of this support can be optimally achieved only in the context of allocating adequate resources by the Allies for the implementation of current and future projects included in the Comprehensive Assistance Package, as well as other cooperation initiatives and priorities of common interest”, – noted the head of Romanian diplomacy.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs expects that the meeting in Bucharest “will once again reflect the firm determination of NATO member states to continue and strengthen assistance to Ukraine in coordination with all relevant partners, primarily the European Union, with close cooperation between NATO and the EU. an important role in continuing to support Ukraine.”

Financial assistance to Ukraine

He reminded that at the level of the European Union it was decided to provide a significant financial package for a period of one year for a total amount of up to 18 billion euros in the form of loans. On November 24, the European Parliament approved this package, proposed by the European Commission, which adds to the aid provided through existing instruments and represents a permanent support of an average of 1.5 billion euros per month, able to cover a significant part of the financing and operational needs of Ukraine.

“Of course, Ukraine’s needs are many and varied, especially as Russian bombing continues and destroys vital parts of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure in segments such as energy and water supply,” Aurescu noted.

The other day, November 24, nine months have passed since the beginning of the war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reminded. “Since the beginning of this aggression, as throughout this period, Romania has shown extraordinary solidarity with Ukraine. At the government level, since the beginning of the conflict, contacts with Ukrainian partners have intensified, and Romania has demonstrated openness to building new bilateral relations with Ukraine, based on trust and solidarity. Our regional cooperation takes into account the nature of risks and threats. We have common challenges to address, which arise from the irresponsible behavior of the Russian Federation,” Aurescu said.

“We firmly believe that Ukraine will need all the help of the international community in the future, including in terms of recovery efforts, in which NATO and the EU play a significant role. Romania is ready to participate in these efforts, and I would like to emphasize that the goal of a stable, safe, democratic and prosperous Ukraine is our immediate and strategic national interest,” said the head of Romanian diplomacy.