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Address by Prime Minister Nicolae –Ionel Ciucă at the plenary session occasioned by the signing of the Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania regarding the Strategic Partnership in the green energy development and transport fields

Nicolae –Ionel Ciucă:

Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,

I would like to add my voice to the warm welcome already addressed to all of you by H.E. President Iohannis.
As a contribution to this discussion, I intend to focus on our perspective upon the intergovernmental Agreement to be signed soon.
This Agreement responds to the urgent need of greening the energy sector, while enhancing energy security. Your presence here, Madam President Von der Leyen, is also a confirmation of the strategic importance of the agreement from the EU connectivity perspective.
In time of crisis, we need to stay united and bring together our potential and resources. Romania is committed to investing in energy production and energy infrastructure, and, in cooperation with our partners, to promoting energy security for us and for the region. As a consequence, Romania will play an important role as a transit country and a regional energy hub, offering alternatives to our neighbors and partners in the EU, but also to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
The Agreement represents an important step forward towards strengthening the mutual long-term cooperation in the field of energy.
The signing of this document represents an important milestone in the framework of the EU efforts aiming at increasing the role of green electricity in fighting global warming and strengthening the resilience of the energy systems.
The Agreement will also enable us to better confront common challenges impacting our energy security. These are the current energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian Federation’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our economies, as well as the inflationary pressure.
The energy sector has been distressed due to turbulence in energy markets, high and volatile energy prices and energy insecurity across the world.
As we assumed, at regional meeting of Energy ministers, hosted in Bucharest, in September, we can contribute together to the necessary solutions for consolidating the energy supplies for our economies as well as for our Western partners and friends, whose welfare is strongly connected to our region.
It has never been more important than nowadays to capitalize on the existing potential related to renewable energy generation capacity, in view of developing green electricity trade between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia, on the one hand, and Europe, on the other hand.
This is especially important as Romania, together with its EU and international partners, work towards advancing their contributions to achieving the energy and climate ambitions enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal.  
Romania expresses full commitment to translating the provisions of the Governmental Agreement into action, thanking once again the Parties for their cooperation and perseverance to laying the foundations of the quadrilateral Strategic Partnership.
Lastly, but very important, I would like to warmly welcome the progress in agreeing the delivery of Azeri gas to Romania as early as the beginning of 2023. This is great news, as Romania will have an additional safeguard in terms of energy security.
Before concluding, a particular thank goes to the Ministries of Energy and Foreign Affairs that worked so intensively to find bilateral and regional solutions for our energy security.
Thank you.