Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu, who was on a visit to Chisinau on Monday, attended the Annual Meeting of the Diplomacy of the Republic of Moldova and held political consultations with her Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popsoi.

The head of Romanian diplomacy was also welcomed by Republic of Moldova President Maia Sandu, as well as by Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu.

According to a press release the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) sent to AGERPRES, the meetings with senior officials in Chisinau addressed the key aspects of the shared agenda, the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova and the regional security situation marked by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

'Minister Oana Toiu reaffirmed Romania's strong, lasting and comprehensive support for strengthening the stability and resilience of the Republic of Moldova and for ensuring an accelerated path towards European integration. She commended the effective countering by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova of Russian interference in the context of the parliamentary elections in September and assured them of the full readiness of the Romanian authorities to continue working closely with their partners in Chisinau to ensure a robust and determined response to the persistent threats generated by the Russian Federation. The experience already gained in this context by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova is at present relevant for the entire international democratic community,' the press release reads.

Romania supports the prompt opening of accession negotiations, starting with cluster 1, fundamental values, as well as the rapid advancement of the Republic of Moldova's integration into the Single Market, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions. The Romanian minister underlined that each candidate country for accession must be assessed strictly on an individual basis, according to its own efforts, commitment and merits.

On a bilateral level, Oana Toiu highlighted the main directions of the support Romania provided to the neighbouring country, including support for its economic development through encouraging Romanian and foreign investment, the expansion and strengthening of interconnections with Romania and thus with the European area, as well as support for reforms and overall modernisation, the ministry said.

At the same time, the head of Romanian diplomacy underlined Bucharest's support for a comprehensive political settlement of the Transnistrian issue, with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, through a process that does not in any way affect its path towards European integration.

'Both in the discussions with officials in Chisinau and in the interactions held at the Annual Meeting of the Diplomacy of the Republic of Moldova, the latest developments in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine were analysed. The Romanian minister expressed the hope that the ongoing peace efforts, carried out with the direct involvement of Ukraine, the United States and European states, will succeed in achieving progress towards a just and lasting peace, with respect for the principles of international law. In this context, it is necessary both to intensify support for Ukraine so that it is able to respond adequately to Russian attacks and to increase pressure on the Russian Federation so that it engages seriously in the process aimed at ensuring a durable and just peace,' the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release also reads. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Andreea Rotaru; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)