Nicușor Dan discussed Romania’s priorities at the European Council meeting on October 15–16 with Antonio Costa

President Nicușor Dan spoke by phone on Tuesday with European Council President Antonio Costa about the main topics on the agenda of the European Council meeting on October 15–16. The head of state said the discussion focused on important issues for the European Union and Romania.

The topics addressed included boosting economic competitiveness, energy prices and the future budget of the European Union. Nicușor Dan said Romania wants an ambitious budget, even if this would require mobilizing additional resources at European level to support competitiveness and defence.

The president also stressed that cohesion policies remain a priority for Romania. Another topic discussed was the enlargement of the European Union, with the head of state reaffirming Bucharest’s support for the accession of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

According to Nicușor Dan, the integration of the two countries would help strengthen the security of Romania, the region and the Black Sea. The discussion also covered security challenges, from Russia’s war in Ukraine to tensions in the Gulf. The president expressed confidence that European leaders would be able to make progress on these issues at the October meeting.