Moldovan PM Gavrilita: Romania helped Moldova through most difficult times, pandemic and energy crisis

Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita on Thursday stated, after the meeting with her Romanian counterpart, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, that Romania stood by the side of Moldova in the most difficult moments in the last couple of years - during the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis, agerpres reports.

"It is a great honour for me to be the first Prime Minister you welcome at the Victoria Palace for an official visit. I believe that this fact reflects the special privileged relationship existing between the Republic of Moldova and Romania, a relationship based on language, culture and community. I am also pleased to have the opportunity to visit Bucharest just two weeks after President Maia Sandu was here, when the new Roadmap on Priority Areas was signed. We have a historic chance to transform the language community into a community of great projects to the benefit of the people on both banks of the Prut River, by building new bridges, both symbolical and concrete ones, whether we are talking about the interconnection in the energy field, about connecting the transport infrastructure in the Republic of Moldova to European networks, or facilitating telecommunications between the two shores," Natalia Gavrilita told a joint press statement with Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca.

She appreciated that a better economic and commercial integration, and in the field of infrastructure, of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, would be a guarantee of an accelerated integration of her country in the European Union.

"Romania has stood by the side of Moldova during the most difficult times of recent years: during the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis, that is. I would like to take this opportunity to voice our sincere thanks for Romania's generous solidarity with our citizens, who received hundreds of thousands of doses of COVID vaccines, or doctors in the Republic of Moldova, who received protective equipment and other materials when they could hardly be found on international markets. So it was the normal thing to do for us to show solidarity when we had that opportunity as well," said Gavrilita.

She also mentioned that, in the context of the energy crisis, "Romania has once again jumped to the aid of the Republic of Moldova" through the gas delivered in October.

"Also, thanks to the supply of the natural gas transmission pipeline Iasi - Ungheni - Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova will be able to take important steps in ensuring independence and energy security," added Natalia Gavrilita.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova said that her country counts on Romania's help and on fulfilling the Government's agenda to transform Moldova into a modern European state, "in which the law and the rule of law should be at the forefront and work to the best interest of the citizens and not for the sake of particular and obscure interests."

She also mentioned that the Republic of Moldova wants more investors from Romania, stating that an absolute priority is to achieve by 2024 the interconnection of energy systems between the two countries, the construction of roads linking the regions on both banks of the Prut, the improvement railway connections between Bucharest and Chisinau.

She also said that, as the pandemic situation allows, she wants as many flights as possible to land in Chisinau from Romania.

Prime Minister Gavrilita also referred to the topic related to mobile phone tariffs.

Gavrilita proposed Prime Minister Ciuca the organization of a joint meeting of the governments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania at the beginning of next year.