România, acord de securitate cu Ucraina. Ce implicaţii are

Preşedintele României, Klaus Iohannis, şi preşedintele Ucrainei, Volodimir Zelenski, au semnat joi, la Washington, acordul bilateral de securitate între cele două ţări.

Preşedintele român a fost însoţit la ceremonia de semnare de ministrul de externe, Luminiţa Odobescu, de ministrul apărării, Angel Tîlvăr, şi de preşedintele Senatului, Nicolae Ciucă.

Alături de preşedintele Ucrainei, s-a aflat, printre alţii, şi ministrul de externe ucrainean, Dmitro Kuleba.

Textul acordului politic semnat de România cu Ucraina este asemănător cu cele semnate de alte state, vizând domenii de cooperare cu relevanţă pentru consolidarea capacităţii Ucrainei de a se apăra şi de a combate agresiunea rusă, în conformitate cu prevederile Cartei ONU, şi pentru întărirea securităţii României.

Acordul sistematizează, practic, cooperarea existentă între România şi Ucraina în diverse domenii, stabilind, în acelaşi timp, un cadru politic pentru continuarea acestei cooperări şi identificând o serie de direcţii de acţiune prioritare, în beneficiul ambelor părţi şi în beneficiul securităţii regionale. Liniile de negociere au fost aprobate de preşedintele şi prim-ministrul României, iar acordul reafirmă angajamentele politice din declaraţiile semnate de preşedinţii celor două state în iunie şi, respectiv, octombrie 2023.

Acordul semnat de România include şi domenii de interes specific în relaţia bilaterală, inclusiv aspecte legate de angajamentul Ucrainei de a continua reformele necesare în parcursul său european şi euroatlantic, de respectarea drepturilor persoanelor aparţinând minorităţilor naţionale, de cooperare în combaterea criminalităţii transfrontaliere.

Documentul semnat la Washington are strict valoare politică, nu juridică.

Declaraţia prevede în mod expres faptul că implementarea angajamentelor şi a cooperării se face în conformitate cu legislaţia naţională, europeană şi internaţională aplicabilă.

În acelaşi timp, toate activităţile ce decurg din acest acord se desfăşoară în limitele resurselor existente, ţinând cont de interesele părţii române.

Acordurile semnate de Ucraina cu semnatarii Declaraţiei G7+, între care şi România, au fost lansate public, pe marginea Summitului aniversar al NATO de la Washington, la 11 iulie 2024. Cu această ocazie a fost lansat şi un Pact pentru Ucraina (Ukraine Compact) la care participă toate statele care s-au asociat la Declaraţia G7+ şi ulterior au semnat acorduri bilaterale de securitate cu Ucraina.

Numărul mare de state participante confirmă soliditatea sprijinului internaţional pentru Ucraina în actualul context de securitate, dar şi pe termen lung. Semnarea acordului politic bilateral şi participarea României la acest pact sunt dovada poziţiei consecvente de sprijin pentru Ucraina şi corespund interesului de securitate al României ca Ucraina să respingă agresiunea rusă.

Ucraina a încheiat acorduri cu 22 de semnatari ai Declaraţiei G7+, inclusiv Uniunea Europeană, şi continuă negocierile cu toţi ceilalţi semnatari. Aceste acorduri confirmă relevanţa şi importanţa deosebită a Declaraţiei şi a sprijinului internaţional pentru Ucraina. Toate aceste acorduri au o structură asemănătoare, prezentând sprijinul deja oferit şi identificând priorităţi pentru cooperarea viitoare cu Ucraina, cu accent asupra cooperării în domeniul militar şi de securitate, în sens larg, dar fără a se limita strict la aceasta.

Agreement on security cooperation between Romania and Ukraine

11 july 2024

Introduction

Romania and Ukraine, hereinafter jointly referred to as “the Participants”,

Reaffirming the principles of the United Nations Charter (UN Charter) and the Helsinki Final Act, including the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and the inviolability of international frontiers, which are the backbone of European and worldwide security,

Considering Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine to be a direct threat to international peace and security, a flagrant violation of international law, and a breach of the UN Charter,

Underlining the unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders as of 1991, including the territorial sea, and acknowledging the legitimate right of Ukraine to self-defence according to Article 51 of the UN Charter,

Affirming that the security of Ukraine is integral to the security of European continent and a wider Euro-Atlantic region, and thus that security of Ukraine and security of Romania are closely linked,

Fully supporting Ukraine’s efforts to achieve just, lasting, and sustainable peace, based on the Ukraine’s Peace Formula,

Confirming joint commitment to strengthen efforts to facilitate full-fledged integration of Ukraine into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and reiterating the right of every state to freely choose its own security arrangements,

Emphasizing that Romania will continue to support Ukraine’s implementation of the reforms necessary for its full integration into the EU and NATO and in the benefit of all its citizens, and commends Ukraine for the significant reform progress made to date;

Recalling the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine adopted by the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) on the margins of the NATO Vilnius Summit on 12 July 2023 (G7 Joint Declaration), which was officially joined by Romania, and recognizing that bilateral security commitments are not a replacement for Ukraine’s membership in NATO but complement and support Ukraine’s future membership;

Committing to further support Ukraine’s reform agenda in view of its European integration and in the benefit of all its citizens;

Underscoring their commitment to contribute to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, to resist future coercion, to choose its own future, and to prosper;

Reaffirming all elements of the Joint Declaration of President of Ukraine and President of Romania on the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, signed on 1 June 2023 in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, and Joint Statement by the President of Romania and the President of Ukraine, signed on 10 October 2023 in Bucharest, Romania, including the commitment to raise the bilateral relations to the level of Strategic Partnership;

have jointly determined to strengthen their security cooperation by pursuing the following bilateral long-term security commitments and measures, and have decided as follows:

Paragraph 1. Scope

This Agreement is intended to further the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. The Participants have decided to continue their cooperation to assist Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression until Ukraine prevails, and decided to:

1. provide support to Ukraine in continuing its legitimate self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter against the ongoing Russian aggression, military escalation and to deter aggression in the future;
2. strengthen Ukraine’s recovery, economic stability and resilience;
3. promote accountability for the violations of international law, including international crimes, committed in or against Ukraine and its citizens, and raise the costs to the Russian Federation of its ongoing aggression;
4. commit and support the sustainable and comprehensive implementation of the reforms necessary for Ukraine to advance towards its EU and NATO membership;
5. deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to enhance security in the Black Sea region.

Paragraph 2. Emergency Consultation Mechanism

1. The Participants recognize that any future Russian invasion of Ukraine would violate the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law, and would undermine Euro-Atlantic security, including the security of Romania.
2. In the event of renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine or in the event of significant escalation, at the request of either Participant, the Participants will consult within twenty-four (24) hours, bilaterally or via other channels they both deem suitable, to determine appropriate measures needed to counter or deter the aggression or escalation.
3. Romania affirms that in those circumstances and acting within its means and capabilities and in accordance with its constitutional and other national legal provisions, as well as in accordance with international and European Union law and procedures, will provide Ukraine, as appropriate, with swift and sustained security assistance, military equipment across all domains, and economic assistance, to seek agreement in the EU to impose economic and other costs on Russia, and consult with Ukraine on its needs as it exercises its right of self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
4. In order to ensure the widest and most effective collective response to future armed attack or significant escalation, the Participants may amend these provisions in order to align with any mechanism that they may subsequently agree with its other international partners, including the participants of the G7 Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023.

Paragraph 3. Political support and just peace

1. The Participants recognize that Ukraine and the entire Europe will not be secure until there is a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s rights under international law and the UN Charter.
2. Romania welcomes Ukraine’s efforts to create just, lasting and sustainable peace based on the principles of Ukraine’s Peace Formula. Romania is participating in the working groups of Ukraine’s Peace Formula’s points, being actively involved into the implementation of the radiation and nuclear safety and food security points. As part of the implementation of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, Romania already contributes and will continue to contribute to the strengthening of food security, in particular by securing the maritime and river logistics, including but not limited to, through Romanian Black Sea and Danube ports.
3. Romania will remain fully engaged in cooperation with Ukraine to ensure as wide international participation as possible in Ukraine’s Peace Formula, including involvement of the Global South countries to implement the Peace Formula and participate in the Peace Summit.
4. The Participants seek to work even more closely in the future in the political, defence, security, trade, economic, maritime, scientific and cultural spheres.  To this end, Ukraine and Romania will further deepen their bilateral relations on the level of strategic partnership.

Paragraph 4. Supporting the European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine

1. The Participants acknowledge the importance of international coordination regarding support and security commitments for Ukraine. NATO and the EU both play key roles in Ukraine’s long-term security.
2. The Participants commend the commitment of Ukraine in advancing its reform agenda, especially in the context of its legitimate fight against Russia’s war of aggression.
3. The Participants underscore the relevance for Ukraine to pursue in a sustainable manner the reform process in view of advancing its integration into Euro-Atlantic community. In this respect, they particularly note the importance of implementing deep and wide-ranging reforms in Ukraine to strengthen the rule of law, the fight against corruption, corporate governance, to improve transparency and ensure level-playing field for economic operations. They stress the importance of continuous and sustained efforts by Ukraine to promote, protect and upheld the respect for basic freedoms and human rights, including full and sustainable exercise of rights of persons belonging to national minorities. These efforts should also include advancing defence reforms and defence modernization including by strengthening democratic civilian control of the security sector, including the military and the intelligence, as well as by improving transparency across Ukraine’s defence institutions and industry.
4. Romania reaffirms its commitment to further extend to Ukraine political and practical support, both bilaterally and within the EU and NATO.

NATO

1. The Participants recall that Ukraine’s future is in NATO and that Ukraine will become a member of NATO in the future.
2. Recalling the Joint Declaration of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine as of June 1, 2023 the Participants will continue to support and review Ukraine’s progress on democratic and security sector reforms as well as interoperability through Ukraine’s adapted Annual National Programme (ANP) on its path towards future membership.
3. Romania will continue to contribute to the delivery of support to Ukraine via NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package (UCAP). The aim of short-term non-lethal support is to help with the sustainment of Ukrainian operations. The aim for the medium- to long-term support is to help with rebuilding the Ukrainian security and defence sector and to help Ukraine with its transition towards full interoperability with NATO on its road to the full-fledged membership in the Alliance.
4. Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance. Ukraine has made substantial progress on its reform path and will join NATO when conditions allow.

European Union

1. With regard to Ukraine’s future accession to the EU, the Participants reaffirm that Ukraine is part of the European family and has a future within the EU.
2. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to work on Ukraine’s accession negotiations with the EU. Romania acknowledges Ukraine’s efforts thus far to implement necessary reforms under extremely challenging circumstances and will continue to support Ukraine’s reform efforts.
3. Romania, as a member of the EU, contributes to the continuation of credible and effective support, including in the framework of the EU’s security commitments for Ukraine. Romania will advocate fostering opportunities for cooperation in the framework of relevant EU initiatives, including those aimed at ramping up defence production capacity and enhancing cooperation with the Ukrainian defence industry. This cooperation will benefit the both countries.

Paragraph 5. Fostering Black Sea region security

1. The Participants recognize that Ukraine’s security is integral to the security and stability of the Black Sea region. Romania contributes to ensuring maritime security in the Black Sea region, including trough the Maritime Security Capability Coalition.
2. The Participants will coordinate their efforts on strengthening international cooperation and coordination in the domain of maritime security, including in the context of the existing or new instruments, mechanisms and initiatives, with the aim of ensuring regional security by eliminating threats and increasing the level of maritime security in the Black Sea region, thus contributing to global security.
3. Aiming at fostering security and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, the Participants will stand for extensive cooperation among partners and Allies, including by promoting a wider NATO presence in the Black Sea region. Romania will cooperate with Ukraine to implement efforts on the Black Sea demining, including efforts to jointly tackle drifting sea mines, within, but not limited to, the Mine Countermeasures Task Group Black Sea (MCM Black Sea), as and when appropriate, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the creation of this Task Force.
4. Romania will contribute to the capacity building of Ukraine’s maritime domain through cooperation with Allies and partners. The development of Ukraine’s maritime fleet will be achieved through capacity building efforts, industrial cooperation and training efforts as well as donations.
5. The Participants will seek to strengthen their multilateral cooperation with other countries of the region, including the Republic of Moldova, to improve regional security and counter Russia’s attempts to destabilize it. The Participants acknowledge the importance of trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Moldova for the advancement of the EU integration process for both countries.

Paragraph 6. Defence cooperation

1. Ensuring a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and in the future

1. From the beginning of the full-scale war, Romania has provided multi-dimensional and comprehensive support to Ukraine, including: humanitarian assistance; managing the refugees flow and their sustainable and dignified stay in Romania; military and security assistance; support in the field of energy security; ensuring reliable transit and transport corridors for Ukrainian exports, notably grains and other agricultural products; ensuring accountability for the crimes committed in Ukraine by the Forces of the Russian Federation. Romania will continue its multifaceted support to Ukraine for the duration of this Agreement, with the same dynamics as in 2022-2024.
2. Romania will continue to support Ukraine, for as long as it takes for Ukraine to prevail, maintaining the current dynamic level of assistance, including packages of military assistance agreed between the two Ministries of Defence. In 2024, further support provided by Romania will be driven by the needs expressed by Ukraine, in coordination with our partners, and in accordance with existing procedures between the Ministries of Defence of the two countries. Romania will donate to Ukraine a PATRIOT system, in accordance with the decision of the National Supreme Defence Council of Romania on 20 June 2024.
3. As part of defence cooperation, Romania will facilitate transit of all the necessary equipment through its territory to Ukraine, as swiftly as possible.
4. The Participants will continue the bilateral dialogue and with other partners in order to exchange views and lessons learned regarding the threats posed by missiles and UAVs.
5. To ensure the above mentioned objectives, the Participants will hold annual senior-level Strategic Defence and Security Policy Dialogue, where all security and defence related matters of interest for any of Participants will be discussed, also with a view to strengthen regional security.
6. The Participants will explore ways to provide assistance to the Ukrainian system of military medical support in treating and rehabilitating Ukrainian service members.
7. The Participants will work together, and with other international partners of Ukraine, to assist the security and defence forces of Ukraine and to increase Ukraine’s resilience and capacity to deter and defend against future attacks and prevent the escalation of the ongoing aggression, through the continued provision of security assistance.
8. Romania is also committed to continue its support to Ukraine, through the instruments developed by the European Union and NATO, such as European Peace Facility and NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, with the aim of strengthening interoperability of Ukraine security and defence forces with NATO and to rebuild Ukraine’s defence sector.

2. Ukraine Defence Contact Group and Ukraine future force capabilities

1. The Participants will coordinate their efforts in the development of military capabilities through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) as well as other bodies, platforms and institutions.
2. Romania will contribute to the building up of Ukraine’s future security and defense forces (according to the Future Forces Concept), capable of deterring and repelling any armed aggression, including through training activities. The comprehensive assistance to build up the Future Forces of Ukraine also requires sufficient military stockpiles necessary for repelling of future aggressions. Therefore, Romania will seek ways to increase collaboration and explore options to assist Ukraine in accumulating these strategic resources.
3. Romania will support plans and governance structures for Capability Coalitions in the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, and other formats pending political agreement, by contributing to the Air Force Capability Coalition and Maritime Capability Coalition, both to deliver the future force and to bring more coherence to the provision of capability in the current war.

3. Training and exercises

1. The Romanian military support will facilitate a modernization of the security and defence forces of Ukraine and a greater degree of their interoperability with NATO.
2. Romania will provide individual and collective trainings to the security and defence forces of Ukraine, including train-the-trainer programs. The training will also promote increased interoperability with Euro-Atlantic partners. Training will be provided in close cooperation with partners within the EU and NATO.
3. Ukraine and Romania will continue to share lessons learned in order to be implemented in their future operations/tactics especially related to the usage/countering of modern weapons and technologies, while also focusing on the way new technological developments are influencing armed conflict, especially considering the use of unmanned aerial systems and artificial intelligence.
4. Romania, together with partners, will actively provide the capabilities of the F-16 training centre (FTC) hosted by the Romanian Armed Forces to train the Ukrainian pilots as its tangible input into Air Force Capability Coalition.
5. Romania will continue to contribute to training activities under the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), as well as in the framework of Operation INTERFLEX. At the same time, the Ministry of National Defence of Romania will carry on specific and specialized training on a bilateral or multilateral basis, in close coordination with the EUMAM and the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine (SAG-U).

Paragraph 7. Defence industry cooperation

1. The Participants recognize that Ukraine’s defence industry has the potential to become a powerful asset for Ukraine, regional, and wider Euro-Atlantic security, to enable Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity, and to contribute to the effective deterrence of future aggression.
2. Romania will provide long-term assistance and sustain Ukraine’s defenсe industry, in achieving its goal of meeting the needs of the security and defence forces as outlined in the Future Forces Concept.
3. Romania will collaborate with Ukraine to identify strategies that mitigate the existing supply chain bottlenecks, impeding the development of manufacturing capabilities for critical weapons and ammunition. Additionally, the Participants may consider opportunities for establishing joint industrial production lines for essential types of ammunition.
4. Romania will work with Ukraine to enhance information exchange, share experiences, remove barriers to cooperation, implement required reforms in Ukraine’s defence industry, and bolster the protection of transferred technologies and intellectual property rights. These partnerships will allow both Participants to expand the capacity of their defence industries.
5. Romania will work with Ukraine to identify potential funding sources, that may include among others investments and financial assistance, for the development of Ukraine’s defence industrial base. This initiative is designed to go on beyond nowadays wartime conditions to address also the postwar recovery effort.
6. Romania will, where possible, support Ukraine’s efforts to integrate its defence industry into NATO and EU defence and security frameworks.
7. Ukraine and Romania will work to enable effective functioning of the Joint Ukraine-Romania Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation.

Paragraph 8. Cooperation in the security field and non-military security threats

A. Countering hybrid threats

1. The Participants acknowledge that state and non-state actors use non-traditional ways of exerting power, either covertly or on the basis of a hidden agenda, referred to as hybrid threats.
2. The Participants will cooperate in countering any hybrid attacks from the Russian Federation and any other hostile nations, in particular in the current regional context, exacerbated by the Russian Federation pursuit of (re)gaining and extending influence and economic control outside its borders, as well as of discrediting and undermining the rules based international order.
3. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to defending their open and democratic societies against these malign activities. The Participants remain united in their efforts to defend themselves against and counter hybrid threats. Romania will continue to support initiatives to counter hybrid threats within the EU, NATO and relevant international coalitions.

B.  Cooperation in the sphere of combating serious and organized crime

1. The Participants will, where possible and opportune, provide legal assistance under existing instruments for international criminal cooperation in order to combat serious and organized crime (SOC), amongst others illicit finance, aimed at undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its internal stability and the process of recovery.
2. The Participants will work together to support Ukraine to detect, deter and disrupt transborder organized crime through actions such as, but not limited to:

• Support Ukraine in setting up a national focal point on arms;
• Enhance cooperation to prevent and combat drug trafficking through actions that will reinforce Ukraine’s capacities and capabilities, including by applying the EU standards in the field;
• Promote border protection, monitoring and surveillance, including by further carrying out joint mixed patrols at the common border;
• Increase the efficiency of the Ukrainian and Romanian Border Police in the fight against illegal migration, trafficking in human beings and drugs by developing common instruments and capabilities.

3. Such cooperation may include, but is not limited to, joint activities, information sharing and analysis, the identification of assets that may be seized in respective criminal proceedings, the creation of joint working groups, and the facilitation of training and best-practices sharing.

C. Intelligence and counterintelligence cooperation

1. The Participants will continue and will strive to deepen their cooperation in the field of intelligence and counterintelligence in accordance with the framework based on bilateral agreements, to the extent of their own possibilities, without prejudice to their national interests and in compliance with the legislation of each Participant.
2. The Participants will take measures, within their applicable legal and policy frameworks, to enable Ukraine to detect, deter and disrupt Russian and other hostile States intelligence and subversive activities, including espionage, and sabotage actions to secure Ukraine and Romania from such malign activities, while supporting the enhancement and reform of Ukraine’s security and intelligence architecture.
3. In accordance with the stipulations of the previous point regarding intelligence and counterintelligence cooperation, Romania is willing to support the Ukrainian intelligence services in their process of alignment to European standards, as well as in facilitating their cooperation with other like-minded services in the intelligence community.

D. Cooperation in the sphere of cybersecurity

1. The Participants will work together – through competent institutions – to enable Ukraine to detect, deter and respond to Russian cyber operations, including cyber espionage, sabotage, including through greater cyber resilience and critical infrastructure protection. This will be achieved through information and experience exchange, conducting joint operations and providing technical assistance to Ukraine, within the legal boundaries and upon the availability of information and expertise.
2. The Participants will work together to identify and deter the irresponsible and malicious use of cyber capabilities by the Russian Federation and other hostile state and non-state actors against the Participants.
3. The Participants will work towards deepening Ukraine’s cooperation with EU and NATO structures on cybersecurity.

E. Information Security

1. The Participants will collaborate to improve Ukraine’s capabilities to counter foreign interference and manipulation of information, primarily Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns, exchange experience and promote the development of joint educational and training programmes for information integrity professionals.
2. In order to counter Russian information manipulation and propaganda globally, the Participants will increase their collaboration, in order to: support Ukraine in joining collective instruments for countering threats to information security, primarily from the Russian Federation; exchange lessons learned on communication strategies to counter disinformation; promote the development of joint educational and training programs within international institutions, including regular sharing of experiences and providing technical assistance.
3. The Participants recognize that the Russian Federation acts in order to manipulate the information space, aiming at justifying the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and therefore the Participants deem necessary to cooperate in order to dismantle and reveal the real facts and action of the Russian Federation. For this purpose, the Participants:

• will cooperate to counter the information manipulation and Russian propaganda;
• will ensure, in cooperation with other partners, international communication as efficient as possible, in order to dismantle the disinformation campaigns of the Russian Federation and in order to dispatch the real facts and actions of the Russian Federation;
• will permanently ensure the communication between the competent public institutions with the relevant actors of the civil society, academia, mass-media and social media, in order to foster programs dedicated to improving education, increasing citizens’ awareness capacity regarding the danger of the Russian propaganda, enhancing skills of fact-checking and critical thinking, aimed at consolidating the resilience of society;
• will ensure permanent training of the human resources of the public institutions in the area of STRATCOM and combating Russian disinformation.

4. Romania will assist Ukraine in developing a set of instruments in order to detect the information manipulation and foreign interferences (FIMI).

F. Countering CBRN risks

The Participants intend to further expand their existing bilateral cooperation to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons-related risks. Romania intends in particular to explore avenues of its support to Ukraine in developing its civil protection capabilities and resilience against CBRN-related risks.

G. Humanitarian demining

1. The Participants recognize the importance of efforts aimed at protecting the population and territories of Ukraine from the negative consequences caused by mines and explosive remnants of war as a result of Russian war of aggression and alleviating the devastating consequences after its completion.
2. Due to Russia’s massive contamination of Ukrainian soil through mines, ammunitions and other explosive ordnances, Romania will support humanitarian demining efforts alongside partners.
3. Romania will provide assistance for the humanitarian demining of the territory of Ukraine, including but not limited to financial, logistical and training support.

H. Resilience of critical infrastructure

1. Romania will contribute to the development of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure protection capabilities.
2. Romania will continue to support Ukraine to enhance the protection, resilience and restoration of critical infrastructure, including through grant programs within the EU, NATO and relevant international coalitions. The Participants intend to explore areas for enhanced international cooperation with a view to exchanging knowledge and best-practices in the realm of critical infrastructure capabilities in various sectors as well as through launching joint educational and training programs for critical infrastructure protection specialists.

Paragraph 9. Promoting accountability

1. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to holding the Russian Federation accountable for causing losses or damage to individuals and entities, as well as to Ukraine, as a result of its internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine, including its aggression in violation of the UN Charter.
2. The Participants will seek to hold to account those responsible for war crimes and other international crimes, committed in or against Ukraine in the context of Russia’s war of aggression, consistently with international law, including by supporting the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court to ensure that alleged international crimes are fully and fairly investigated through independent, effective and robust legal mechanisms.
3. The Participants reaffirm that that there must be no impunity for international crimes, including the crime of aggression, and other atrocities committed by Russia and its proxies on Ukraine’s territory, and the Russian Federation must bear the legal responsibility, including by making reparation for any damage caused by such act, which will also help deter future attacks and support Ukraine’s recovery.
4. The Participants note that the immediate release and return of all unlawfully detained, forcibly transferred and illegally deported civilians, including children, are among the principles supporting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Ukraine and Romania will exert all possible efforts to facilitate international efforts to bring those responsible for organizing the illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children to justice according to the norms of international law and decisions of international judicial institutions.
5. The Participants share the conviction on the need to ensure accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and the establishment of a tribunal to ensure effective accountability. The Participants will continue their engagement in the “Core Group on options for the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine”

Paragraph 10. Compensation for damage, loss or injury caused by Russian aggression

1. The Participants reaffirm the Russian Federation must pay for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. Consistent with Romania’s legal system, Russian sovereign assets in Romania’s jurisdiction remain immobilized until the Russian Federation has paid for damage it has caused to Ukraine. Romania, working with its partners, will continue to explore all lawful routes consistent with applicable contractual obligations and in accordance with EU and international law through which Russian assets could be used to support Ukraine.
2. As a priority, the Participants will continue to work together, along with G7 states and others, towards the establishment of a compensation mechanism to provide compensation for damage, loss or injury caused by Russian aggression, as envisaged by the Statute of the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine adopted by the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe CM/Res(2023)3.
3. The Participants will explore appropriate options for the financing of a compensation mechanism to provide prompt and adequate compensation to victims of Russian aggression, and to support Ukraine’s reconstruction, including options with regard to seizure and repurposing of Russian sovereign assets.

Paragraph 11. Sanctions

1. The Participants recognize the value of sanctions in restricting the Russian Federation’s and other aggressor-states’ access to the finance, goods, technology and services it is utilizing in its aggression, in bearing down on Russia’s revenue streams, and to deter future attacks. The Participants will continue to work to ensure that the costs to Russia of its aggression continue to rise, including through sanctions and export controls.
2. While the Russian Federation’s aggression towards Ukraine continues, Romania will remain committed, in the European framework, to pursuing robust sanctions against sectors of the Russian economy and those in the Russian Federation and outside who are supporting or profiting from the war, or assisting in sanctions circumvention in third countries. Romania will also take determined action with partners to tackle all forms of sanctions circumvention as well as to reinforce its own domestic resilience against Russia-linked illicit finance and elites.
3. The Participants will provide each other with up-to-date appropriate information on the grounds for sanctions and other relevant information, in compliance with relevant obligations and national laws.

Paragraph 12. Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction

1. The Participants will continue their cooperation to strengthen Ukraine’s economic stability and resilience through support for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.
2. The Participants intend to stimulate the participation by their respective private sectors in the recovery and reconstruction efforts. The authorities of Ukraine will ensure that the support received for the purposes of recovery and reconstruction is spent in a manner that is efficient, transparent and accountable.
3. Romania will seek to deliver a maximum usage of its transport and logistic routes in order to facilitate both short-term, mid-term and long-term projects of Ukraine’s reconstruction process.
4. As Ukraine continues early recovery and reconstruction, the Participants will seek to ensure the continuation of well-coordinated life-saving humanitarian aid where it is needed. The Participants will work together to ensure targeted humanitarian response which delivers to those most in need, including in hard-to-reach areas.
5. The Participants will direct their efforts to extend their cooperation to such areas as the development of entrepreneurship, improvement of the regulatory environment, encouragement of investments in specific projects that meet the interests of both sides (e.g. green technology, digital transformation) and financial support for the recovery of small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
6. For increasing the societal resilience, the Participants will enhance cooperation in the field of civil protection through the dedicated framework that will be established after the finalization and signing the draft Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on cooperation in the field of prevention, limitation and mitigation of emergency situations consequences.

Paragraph 13. Bilateral relations

1. Ukraine and Romania will further develop their close and friendly relations in all areas, on the basis of shared values and an unshakeable solidarity in the face of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and of common threats and challenges.
2. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to raise the bilateral relations at the level of Strategic Partnership and to accelerate the negotiations to this end.
3. The Participants seek to work together even more closely in the future in the political, defence, economic, scientific, education and cultural spheres.
4. Ukraine and Romania will further deepen their bilateral relations by strengthening regular consultation formats.

Paragraph 14. Framework of Cooperation

1. The Participants will use the framework for cooperation described in this Agreement to develop concrete projects in accordance with their international and national obligations.
2. Representatives of the Participants intend to hold annual meetings to review the progress of activities jointly carried out under this Agreement. Such meetings will be held on an alternating basis in Ukraine and Romania or at another location to be jointly decided upon.
3. No information, either classified or non-classified, exchanged under this Agreement, will be released by one of the Participants to any third entity (including third States, international organizations and national administrations that are not the original intended addressee of the information) without the prior written consent of other Participant.

Paragraph 15. Implementing, Executive and Technical Arrangements

1. The Participants will, if necessary, designate authorised bodies for the development, conclusion and implementation of bilateral agreements/arrangements regarding the areas of cooperation specified in this Agreement.
2. The authorized bodies of the Participants may conclude executive and technical arrangements on specific areas of cooperation within the framework of the implementation of this Agreement or supplements to this Agreement.

Paragraph 16. Final Provisions

1. This Agreement comes into effect upon signature and will is valid for ten (10) years from the date of its signature.
2. At the same time, in accordance with the G7 Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023, the Participants intend this Agreement to remain in effect, as Ukraine pursues its path to future membership in NATO.
3. In the event that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO before the expiry of this Agreement, the Participants will decide on its future status.
4. The Agreement may be terminated by either Participant by giving written notice of its intention to terminate the Agreement to the other Participant. This Agreement will be terminated six months from the date of receipt of such notice.
5. The termination will not affect the implementation of on-going activities or projects which have been decided prior to the date of its termination, unless the Participants decide otherwise.
6. This Agreement may be amended and supplemented, including by adding annexes thereto, by mutual agreement of the Participants, which will be submitted in writing.
7. Any difference in the interpretation and implementation of this Agreement will be settled amicably through direct consultations between the Participants.

Signed in Washington, on 10 July 2024, in two original copies, in the English, Ukrainian and Romanian languages. In case of any discrepancy, the text in English will prevail.

Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine