Romania has been, is and will remain the strategic partner and closest supporter of the Republic of Moldova, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Thursday.

The head of the Government held joint statements with Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Alexandru Munteanu, at the end of the bilateral meetings which took place at the Victoria Palace.

'Romania has been, is and will remain the strategic partner and closest supporter of the Republic of Moldova. The facts prove it. As we agreed within out talks, we will maintain an extremely dynamic dialogue between our ministers. We must continue and deepen the joint projects, already undertaken or those which we will decide together in the future, to the benefit of the citizens on both sides of the Pruth,' Ilie Bolojan said.

He underlined that there is a long list of bilateral cooperation projects.

'There are many areas and projects where we are working very closely and I will mention a few examples, although the list is much longer. The interconnection of our energy and transport infrastructures, such as the Suceava-Balti power line, the rehabilitation and electrification of the Iasi-Ungheni railway connection with European funds, the construction of the Ungheni bridge, which will be linked to the A8 motorway, the first bridge over the Pruth built in the past 60 years,' PM Bolojan pointed out.

The PM also mentioned the projects regarding the improvement of transit at the border crossing points, with the aim of reducing the waiting times, an important thing for the citizens of both states and companies, in the context in which Romania is the most important commercial partner of the Republic of Moldova.

'Here, we already have signed several bilateral agreements to introduce coordinated control at certain border crossing points and we are working on developing infrastructure in order to allow an easier transit between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, increasing the bilateral trade and investment of Romanian companies. The companies in Romania are at the forefront of the investment effort in the Republic of Moldova, contributing to the creation of new jobs and the development of society as a whole,' Bolojan said.

He also mentioned intensifying cooperation at local level, cooperation in the security area in the context of the risk generated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine and cooperation in 'heartfelt' areas such as culture and education.

The Prime Minister reiterated the fact that, at European level, Romania will remain a strong voice and a supporter of the progress of the Republic of Moldova.

'We will work closely with your Government because the accession to the European Union is the only option able of meeting future aspirations and raising the standard of living for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. We also support Chisinau's reform commitments, which are necessary not only for the accession process but, above all, for the development of the Republic of Moldova. It is essential to find solutions quickly at the European Union level in order to open the first negotiation clusters with the Republic of Moldova and Romania firmly supports this objective,' Bolojan stated.

In conclusion, he wished success to his Moldovan counterpart and colleagues in his cabinet.

'I assure you once again of our support and openness to working closely together,' Bolojan said. AGERPRES(RO - writing by: Daniel Florea; EN - writing by: Rodica State)