Meeting of Romanian senators with Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputies - Dragu: Context is very sad

Members of the Human Rights Committee of the Romanian Senate and a delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine visiting Bucharest pointed out, on Tuesday, the aid granted by Romanians to the nearly one million people having fled the war and crossed the Romanian-Ukrainian border, Agerpres reports.

"The context in which this discussion takes place is very sad. We have been concerned with the issue of the refugees from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian Federation's aggression in Ukraine. We have benefited from the support of the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest and good cooperation of the Romanian institutions with the European ones and the civil society. The Romanian citizens mobilized in an exemplary manner and helped those fleeing the war. (...) We focused on health, education and, especially, on the needs of children," said Anca Dragu, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, at the meeting with the Ukrainian deputies.

She added that since the beginning of the war, 902,000 people have come to Romania from Ukraine, with 4,435 asylum seekers in Romania. Anca Dragu noted that refugees from Ukraine received medical care for chronic and acute illnesses, 571 were hospitalized, 2,778 went to the emergency department and more than 1,000 elderly people benefited from social services.

"I would also like to say about the students and preschoolers from Ukraine, who - we hope - have found a home in Romania in these difficult times. In Bucharest, we have the Uruguay School, where there are over 100 Ukrainian children. We have Ukrainian citizens who have already found a job in Romania," Dragu said.

Lyudmila Marchenko, Delegation Coordinator, Chair of the Subcommittee on Legislation on the Status of the Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Ukraine, thanked the Romanians for their help and expressed hope that Romania would contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine.

"My country is at war. We are grateful that you are with us in these times and that our citizens have found shelter in your country. (...) Today, Ukraine is defending the whole of Europe with its body. In our country, today, civilians, women and children are being killed. This is genocide. Ukraine will certainly win, and we will certainly celebrate together. Thank you for every step you take to show that our peoples are friends. After the victory, the reconstruction will follow and I am sure that Romania will participate in this process. We ask for your support and help, we ask you to oppose Russia. (...) For us, any lost life is a tragedy, for Russia just a statistic," said Lyudmila Marchenko.

She invited the Romania-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group to pay a visit to her country.

Robert Cazanciuc, vice-president of the Senate, mentioned a Romanian-Ukrainian conversation guide, printed in 13,000 copies, at the initiative of some senators, and expressed his hope that this guide will one day turn into a tourist one.

"It is almost unrealistic that genocide can happen in the middle of Europe in the 21st century. We thought that these things were a thing of the past, but they are happening right before our eyes. Almost a million people who have passed through Romania (...) There is a component of support from us, here and in Ukraine, through the things they have sent. Certainly, being neighbors, Romania can play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine," Cazanciuc said.