KLAUS IOHANNIS, President of Romania, said his country is a direct neighbour to the continued war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.  “And we acted, with all our energy, to bring a solid contribution to regional and international security and stability,” he stressed.  This war has further demonstrated that the Black Sea needs more global attention, as it is of strategic importance for transatlantic security.  For its part, Romania has acted in full solidarity with the Ukrainian people.  “We will continue to provide safe haven and protect refugees coming from our neighbour, as we did for over 6 million Ukrainians who already crossed our borders,” he emphasized.  Romania fully supports Ukraine’s peace plan as the most suitable framework conducive to a fair, lasting and sustainable peace.  It also supports the pursuit of international law, so that all those responsible for atrocities are brought to justice.

The wider Black Sea region must be protected against the effects of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, he continued.  Romania has been constantly urging the need to keep the so-called protracted or frozen conflicts in the region high on the UN’s agenda.  “While we work in the present to defend our values, we should also continue to project a sustainable future,” he said.  Romania continues to actively pursue the 2030 Agenda.  Food insecurity, energy and economic instability affect everyone, but especially the most vulnerable in the Global South.  By terminating the Black Sea Initiative and by attacking Ukrainian ports, the Russian Federation has further exacerbated the global food crisis.

Since the beginning of the war, Romania has facilitated the delivery of over 25.5 million tons of Ukrainian grain.  “Romania will not let down our most vulnerable partners who need our support, especially those from least developed countries, including from Africa,” he added.  Through its Sustainable Development Strategy, Romania has advanced efficient, transparent and citizen-centred governance.  Romania’s second voluntary national review “is proof that we are on the right track, as we already achieved 62 per cent of our national targets for 2030”.  The country is committed to increasing its official development assistance (ODA) to 0.33 per cent of its gross national income by 2030.  It also aims to contribute to the European Union’s objective to allocate 0.20 per cent of its collective ODA to the least developed countries, he added.

Turning to climate change, he urged for a climate and security nexus to be more prominent on the UN agenda, including in the Security Council. “We must accelerate a just energy transition and emissions reduction,” he added, underscoring opportunities brought forth by digitalization, innovation and new technologies, as well as strategic investments in renewables.  Furthermore, the key for efficient multilateralism is to ensure its successful reform, which cannot be delayed.  An enlarged Security Council could include important additional voices:  from the African Group, from various small island developing States and even from the smallest regional group — the East European one, he said.