PSD's Ciolacu: EU needs joint response on energy crisis, agriculture approach

Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday that the European Union must have a "common answer" in terms of the energy crisis, the future approach in agriculture and the support of states bordering Ukraine.

"I reiterated [in discussions with the President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament] that Romania should join the Schengen Area as soon as possible in order to increase Romania's role in the region as well. The European Union must have a "common answer" in terms of the energy crisis, the future approach in agriculture and the support of states bordering Ukraine. I am firmly convinced that once Mrs Perez returns to the European Parliament she will convey very clearly the current reality in Romania and will continue to be involved in our support," Ciolacu told in a joint conference with Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, at the PSD headquarters.

He added that he presented to the European official the steps taken by the PSD ministers to deal with the situation of refugees from Ukraine, but also spoke of "our country's ambition to become a strategic regional hub for Ukraine's reconstruction and development of the Black Sea."

"Romanians have shown once again that they can be an example, a positive example at European level and I want to thank everyone this way for their involvement," Ciolacu said.