Trilateral Moldova-Romania-Ukraine meeting // Moldovan minister : Our states share similar visions, strongly committed to common European future

Chisinau, July 5 /MOLDPRES/- A joint declaration of the three foreign ministers and a memorandum of mutual understanding between the three countries on combating information manipulation and foreign interference were signed at Trilateral Republic of Moldova-Romania-Ukraine meeting held in Chisinau. The documents signed in Chisinau show that Moldova, Romania and Ukraine share common visions and are "firmly committed" to a European future, the head of Moldovan diplomacy, Mihai Popșoi, told a press conference with Luminița Odobescu and Dmytro Kuleba.

Mihai Popșoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova:

"I would like to mention that the joint declaration firmly states that our states share similar visions and concerns regarding the current security environment and are firmly committed to a common, democratic, peaceful and prosperous European future. The document focuses on highly topical issues and focuses on developing and strengthening relations between the three countries. Both in the political and economic fields of energy, infrastructure, energy infrastructure, combating disinformation. This document underlines the solidarity, commitment and support of the Republic of Moldova and Romania to Ukraine and its people, who continue to heroically resist the unjustified and illegal war of aggression. We reiterate our commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine. Our common objective remains to continue to ensure international support for a comprehensive, lasting peace in Ukraine," said Popșoi.

Popșoi reaffirmed Moldova's willingness to contribute to Ukraine's post-conflict reconstruction efforts. "We consider that the geographical location of the Republic of Moldova is a suitable one to serve as a logistical hub in the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. In this statement, we express our desire to promote closer cooperation to strengthen common capabilities to counter the hybrid threats of the Russian Federation. We also talked about concrete projects to interconnect Moldova's energy system with those of Ukraine and Romania, which will have a major regional impact. At the same time, we discussed gas transportation. We also discussed at the meeting the possibilities for increasing the efficiency and volume of goods, especially grain, transiting to and from Ukraine, the territory of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, in the context of the solidarity corridor. Now is the best time to invest in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, by investing in our country the EU countries are not only supporting us, but also contributing to the wider objective of ensuring peace and stability in the whole region. We have sent a strong message: the Republic of Moldova and Romania continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and to constantly support our neighbors and friends", concluded the Minister.

Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu:

"The trilateral meeting is yet another proof of our firm support for Ukraine in the context of the war waged by the Russian Federation, and it is also an expression of Romania's commitment to strongly support the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in this difficult context. Today's meeting was a time for analysis and consultations, for wide-ranging trilateral discussions on areas of prime interest for all parties involved, such as energy interconnection and transport, combating disinformation, and the European agenda. I would like to congratulate the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the official opening of accession negotiations with the European Union. This is a historic step on the road towards the future that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and the citizens of Ukraine want in the European Union. Romania has supported the European aspirations of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and has provided political and practical support at all the defining moments of the European path in recent years, and our strong support will continue. Security issues were also on the agenda at today's talks. Unfortunately, Russia continues its war of aggression in Ukraine. Ukraine's victory is indispensable not only because it is the right thing to do, not only for the security and stability of the Black Sea region, but also to prevent the Russian Federation from unleashing further aggression in the future. The support of the international community is not only in support of Ukraine, but also in defense of the principles and norms of the rules-based international order.

One of the topics discussed in depth today was combating disinformation. We are talking about a hybrid threat, which today affects all democratic states, which creates instability and fragmentation, and which has intensified in the context of the Russian Federation's illegal aggression against Ukraine. This is why today's signing of the trilateral Memorandum of Understanding to combat disinformation is proof of our common commitment to counter this phenomenon through better structured cooperation. As regards transport, infrastructure and transit, our discussions touched on some extremely important issues from the perspective of the contribution of these areas to the integration and interconnection of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to the European area. We discussed the strengthening of the solidarity corridors, which are extremely important now to support Ukraine's resilience and vital in the future in view of the reconstruction process.

Another top item on the agenda of this meeting was trilateral energy cooperation. We jointly condemned the cynical attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the goal of Russian forces to weaken the resistance and resilience of the Ukrainian people will not be achieved. The joint declaration signed today enshrines our common commitment to act in solidarity in the context of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine".

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba:

"The opening of negotiations for our countries is a historic step that was possible with the consistent support of Romania. Once we become members of the EU, we will no longer have borders and we will have stability and peace. Now the Russian Federation is trying to destabilize the situation in the region, including through a hybrid war, but we must preserve the European path of our countries. We also discussed energy and transport cooperation and decided that we will coordinate our efforts, including in the fight against disinformation and propaganda. In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the authorities of the neighboring countries, but also to the citizens of these countries. You are helping Ukraine to win and you are ensuring security in the region", concluded the diplomat from Kiev.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister thanked the authorities of Chisinau and Bucharest for supporting the country and Ukrainian citizens who have fled the war.

The event covered a wide range of issues, from regional energy cooperation and the joint development of a modern and resilient transport infrastructure to regional partnerships in the fight against disinformation.

The idea of developing trilateral cooperation was launched in 2022 by Romania, with the first meeting taking place on September 15 in Odessa and the second - on April 13, 2023 in Bucharest.