Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says that on Monday he had a discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi about “Romania’s ongoing efforts to support Ukraine.”

Marcel CholakuPhoto: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea

The Prime Minister of Romania announced this in a post on Twitter after participating in the meeting of heads of state and government of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans organized by the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

“Romania with Ukraine before its victory and in reconstruction. We support the start of accession negotiations with the European Union this year. Romanians in Ukraine have our joint support,” Marcel Čolaku wrote.

Cholaku, meeting also with Ursula von der Leyen. What did they discuss?

Prime Minister Marcel Cholaku also held a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday evening in Athens, which he mentioned in a Facebook post.

“I had a consistent discussion with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about Romania’s security challenges in the Black Sea, the efforts made by our country in the context of the war in Ukraine, the implementation of the PNRR and Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone. I presented the current situation at the borders of our country and supported the need for additional financial support for Romania in the current context, which requires the acceleration of infrastructure development,” said Marcel Ciolacu on Facebook.

He added that he also emphasized “the Government’s intention to keep the deficit within reasonable limits.”

“I also emphasized the development of events regarding the implementation of the PNRR, namely at certain stages with the fiscal budget measures of this plan agreed by the former right-wing governments, as well as the state of public finances and the Government’s intention to keep the deficit within reasonable limits without harming the economy and the population.” , said the prime minister.

He also touched on the accession to Schengen. “Furthermore, I appealed to the President of the European Commission to intensify joint efforts for Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone,” Colacu wrote.