Meeting of G7+ Foreign Ministers in Bucharest: We Must Improve Ukraine’s and Moldova’s Energy Connections with the EU

Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu stressed the importance of solidarity and joint efforts to strengthen the energy security of Ukraine and Moldova. Their goal is to create a more integrated and sustainable regional energy sector. The foreign ministers met in the G7+ format within the NATO ministerial meeting in Bucharest, moldova1.md reports. Bogdan Aurescu noted the difficulties faced by the Republic of Moldova after the explosions in Ukraine and pointed to the need to improve Ukraine and Moldova’s ties with the EU. “The international community’s efforts must be urgently focused on repairing Ukraine’s electricity transmission infrastructure, as well as on solving structural problems that currently limit the possibility of providing emergency assistance to Ukraine through electricity supplies,” Aurescu said in his speech, according to a Romanian Foreign Ministry press release. In this context, Aurescu mentioned the trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in Odesa on September 15, 2022, initiated by the Foreign Minister of Romania, to which the Ministers of Energy of the three countries were also invited, and where common lines of action were agreed upon to develop interconnection and strengthen the energy security of Ukraine and Moldova in the medium and long term. The meeting, chaired by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, focused on finding solutions to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has been significantly damaged by recent Russian missile attacks. The meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers or other high-level representatives of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) as well as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, together with representatives of NATO, European Union, EBRD and the World Bank. The meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers continues on Wednesday in Bucharest. Moldovan Foreign and European Integration Minister Nicu Popescu will attend the event. Point