Tofan, after meeting with the Romanian Prime Minister: The Prut will remain just a river, not a border separating two Romanian states

The Republic of Moldova and Romania want to accelerate the construction of bridges over the Prut, the modernization of border crossings and the development of energy interconnections. At the same time, Chisinau aims to attract more Romanian investments, including for projects related to the reconstruction of Ukraine. The topics were discussed on Tuesday, October 27, by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and his Romanian counterpart, Luca Niculescu, who was on his first foreign visit since taking office.

During the joint press conference, Vasile Tofan welcomed the choice of Chisinau as the destination of the Romanian Prime Minister's first foreign visit and emphasized the close relationship between the two states. The Head of Government recalled the support offered by Romania in difficult times, including during energy crises, but also the investments in infrastructure, schools and kindergartens.

"Dear Luca, you are at home in Chisinau and I think this is the most natural way to describe the relationship between our countries. A relationship in which we do not need too many formalities to understand each other and to be there for each other. For the Republic of Moldova, Romania is the closest friend, the country we have always known we could rely on. We are connected by the same language, history, culture, our families and communities, children who study in Romania, people who work, build businesses and make plans for the future together, but what connects us most is the future that we want to build together. Romania was with us in the most difficult moments, when we needed quick and concrete support. It helped us deal with energy crises, modernize schools and kindergartens, develop infrastructure, and bring better services to our localities," the prime minister said.

Vasile Tofan also addressed the security situation in the region, in the context of his previous visit to Kiev. The Prime Minister condemned the Russian bombing of Ukraine, as well as the repeated violations of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and Romania. According to him, the security of the three states is closely linked, and regional cooperation must be strengthened to face the threats.

"This morning I came from Kiev, where I saw once again what it means to live under the constant threat of war. Just last night, the Ukrainian capital was again the target of Russian bombing. 16 ballistic missiles hit civilian targets in a city of 3 million people. For the people of Ukraine, this is the reality of every day," the head of the Executive said.

Tofan continued by warning that the effects of the war are not limited to the territory of Ukraine and that security incidents directly affect neighboring states as well.

"We strongly condemn these violations, as well as the attacks on ships in the Black Sea, which directly affect you and threaten the security of navigation and the stability of the entire region. All this reminds us how important it is to remain united, to strengthen our capacity to respond to these threats and to continue to support Ukraine. The security of the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine is closely linked, and peace and stability in our region are a common responsibility," the Prime Minister said.

Referring to bilateral projects, Tofan announced that one of the priorities is to improve transport connections between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. The two governments want to accelerate the construction of the Ungheni bridge and the modernization of border infrastructure, as well as advance with the implementation of coordinated control at the Cantemir–Fălciu crossing point.

"First of all, we want to be better connected, more bridges over the Prut, better roads and more and faster border crossings, especially now, when it is the season for Moldovan farmers to export perishable fruits, so that people and goods can move faster and easier. We want to speed up the Ungheni bridge, including access roads and border infrastructure, and move forward with coordinated control at Cantemir–Fălciu," said Vasile Tofan.

Another important topic of the meeting was energy security. The Prime Minister stated that the authorities in Chisinau and Bucharest want to accelerate electrical interconnections, including the Bălți–Suceava line. He also announced that the Republic of Moldova could benefit, from the next cold season, from the gas extracted from the Neptun Deep project, developed in the Black Sea.

"Secondly, we continue to build our energy security together. Romania has played an essential role in supplying the Republic of Moldova with energy. Now we are building the infrastructure that will provide us with more security in the long term. We discussed accelerating electricity interconnections, including the Bălți–Suceava line, and from the next cold season we will also be able to count on gas from Neptun Deep in the Black Sea. Thirdly, we want more Romanian investments in the Republic of Moldova. Romania is already one of the most important economic partners, but the potential is much greater in industry, energy, technology, infrastructure," the prime minister said.

According to him, the Government wants Romanian companies to invest and create new jobs in the Republic of Moldova. Chisinau also wants to capitalize on the country's geographical position to attract companies interested in participating in the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Regarding the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, Tofan stressed that Romania remains Chisinau's most important supporter. The Prime Minister acknowledged that, beyond internal reforms, the integration process also depends on the political decisions of the member states, and the Government is counting on Bucharest's support for advancing the negotiations.

"Dear Luca, Romania is the strongest supporter of our European path. Our country has come a long way and we know very clearly what we have to do next. The main responsibility is ours and we do not transfer it to anyone. We must do our homework and demonstrate through results that the Republic of Moldova is ready for accession, but European integration is also a political process. Therefore, we need the progress we make in Chisinau to be translated into high-level political decisions and here we are counting very much on Romania", stated Vasile Tofan.

The Prime Minister also referred to the diplomatic experience of his Romanian counterpart, including his activity in the process of Romania's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Tofan stated that he is counting on this experience so that Bucharest continues to actively promote the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU.

"You know very well that in such a process it is not enough to have good arguments, you have to build support for them," the Moldovan Prime Minister said.

In conclusion, the Head of Government in Chisinau emphasized the significance that the European integration of the Republic of Moldova will have for the people on both banks of the Prut.

"The accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union will be a success not only for our country, but also for Romania and the entire region, and I believe it will be a moment of special significance for our people. The Prut will remain just a river, not a border separating two Romanian states," said Vasile Tofan.

Luca Niculescu chose Chisinau for his first foreign visit as Prime Minister of Romania, a gesture that Vasile Tofan described as a signal of the special relationship between the two states.