Nicușor Dan advocated for “integrated investments” at the first Summit of Ukraine’s Carpathian Integration Initiative / “It is an additional tool for European integration”

President Nicușor Dan said on Friday, at the first Summit of the Carpathian Integration Initiative, held in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, that Romania “is a staunch supporter of the European path, and the Carpathian Integration Initiative can also serve as an additional instrument for the European integration of candidate countries.” Nicușor Dan attended the event at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Nicușor Dan argued that the Carpathian countries must better coordinate their efforts to develop infrastructure, build roads and border crossing points, expand energy connections, and boost tourism, as well as economic and cultural exchanges.

According to him, Romania hosts approximately half of the Carpathian mountain range, which gives it an important role in this initiative. Bucharest advocates an integrated approach to investments, so that projects have a direct impact on local communities.

The cooperation agenda also includes nature protection, attracting investment, the use of advanced information technologies, security, civil protection, and preparedness for natural disasters or other crisis situations.

Romania believes, Nicușor Dan said, that the initiative can provide additional support for the European path of candidate countries and can contribute to protecting the rights of national minorities by making use of the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity.