The European Parliament awarded the people of Ukraine the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, in support of Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion, which began on February 24. The prize includes 50,000 euros, which will be awarded to representatives of civil society. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded annually, since 1988, to individuals and organizations that fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is named in honour of the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. Last year, the prize was awarded to the Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny, for his fight against corruption and the Kremlin’s abuses of human rights.
The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, participated on Wednesday, in the ministerial meeting of the 11th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), in videoconference format. Minister Aurescu stressed the effort made by Ukraine, as the current chair of the Danube Strategy, in exercising this mandate, from the position of the first non-EU state to assume this role, in the context of the Russian aggression. He also presented the multidimensional actions undertaken by Romania to support Ukraine, highlighting the measures for the reception and integration of Ukrainian refugees and the measures to ensure food security by facilitating the transport and transit of grain through Romania. Bogdan Aurescu also encouraged the strengthening of links between the Danube Strategy and other relevant EU initiatives for the region, such as the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea and the Black Sea Synergy.
Diana Petrescu
