Mateusz Morawiecki made the statement at a Polish-Romanian business forum in Bucharest on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish prime minister attended the event ahead of two-way talks between his Cabinet ministers and their Romanian counterparts, according to officials.
Addressing the Polish-Romanian business conference, Morawiecki said: “We are fighting together to ensure that Ukrainian grain leaves our countries, and that the EU effectively assists us in pursuing a trade policy that is in the best strategic interest of Ukraine, and thus also Central Europe, but also in the best-conceived economic interest of Poland and Romania.”
He added: “This is yet another challenge that Poland and Romania are meeting in an identical way.”
'I can’t imagine a better partner today'
The Polish prime minister also said that, in the face of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Polish and Romanian governments were jointly pursuing policies in “the best strategic interest” of their two countries.
Referring to Romania, Morawiecki stated: “I can’t imagine a better partner today, whose voice is heard and listened to in Europe, and, at the same time, is identical to our view of this strategic challenge.”
He added: “Only a few countries in Europe think almost identically about strategic challenges. I am grateful to Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and President Klaus Iohannis, who conduct their policy within the EU and NATO in such a way as to achieve as much cohesion and efficiency as possible between Poland and Romania.”
Morawiecki told reporters that Poland and Romania should focus on developing their business ties through small and medium-sized companies.
"This is in the best interest of the Polish economy, the Romanian economy and the Central European economy," he argued.
He described Romania as “a big ally in the fight for our shared interests.”
'Europe’s North-South axis'
Morawiecki also spoke about "the importance of cooperation along Europe’s North-South axis," according to officials.
He said such links "must be considerably deepened in all respects" by building new infrastructure, including "the Via Carpathia route to connect northern and southern Europe."
Morawiecki argued that the planned Via Carpathia transnational highway network from Lithuania to Greece was an “absolute priority," saying it would not only help boost business ties, "but also help deepen social and cultural cooperation” and strengthen "links in every other respect.”
Role of Central Europe 'has risen significantly': Polish PM
Morawiecki also told the event that the role of Central Europe "has risen significantly” since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
He hailed the “important and ambitious” Polish-led Three Seas Initiative, which aims to boost infrastructure, energy and business ties among 12 countries between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.
The initiative brings together Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The initiative’s key partners include the European Union and the United States.
Tuesday is day 398 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, wpolityce.pl