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Ambassador Prokopciuk:Russia remains a threat, Romania and Ukraine will take necessary infrastructure development steps
Russia will remain a threat, but Romania and Ukraine will take "the necessary steps to continue investing in the development of connectivity infrastructure", Ukrainian ambassador in Bucharest Ihor Prokopciuk declared on Wednesday as he attended the launch of the document "The Romania - Moldova - Ukraine Triangle. A Framework for Enhanced Regional Connectivity", which examines some of the short and long-term benefits Romania could obtain by speeding up the consolidation of regional cooperation with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
Ukraine has the longest border with an EU country, Romania, which is over 600 kilometers long. The shared border is long, but the border crossing points remain few, and infrastructure needs upgrading. I welcome the fact that our governments have focused on infrastructure development, and this was one of the results of the 2023 joint meeting of the Ukrainian and Romanian governments in Kyiv, the diplomat said.
He also referred to the regional response to the war in his country and mentioned that in the last three years since the start of the Russian invasion, two more border crossings have been opened between Romania and Ukraine, along with the initiation of the Orlivka - Isaccea Danube bridge project, which will also benefit the Republic of Moldova.
The energy sector is key for national stability, but also for resource diversification and implicitly for overcoming reliance on Russia in this area, Prokopciuk said, stressing that Russia uses the energy sector as a "blackmail tool."
Present at the event, analyst and Smartlink Communications CEO Radu Magdin argued that it is "very important" for Romania, Moldova and Ukraine to have options in a variety of areas.
"In the last three years we have rediscovered each other for better or worse, but there are many things to be done, strategy-wise, regarding critical infrastructure," he said.
President of the Experts for Security and Global Affairs Association Angela Gramada emphasized the importance of solidarity. "We don't just share a 600-kilometer border with Ukraine, we also have Russia very close to our borders, so supporting Ukraine and doing everything possible to create stability in the region is extremely important," she pointed out.
She added that "The Romania-Moldova-Ukraine Triangle. A Framework for Enhanced Regional Connectivity" is not a document about how to do business in the traditional style with Ukraine, but is rather about "how to become more secure ourselves and how to have a secure future, how to create opportunities for future generations."