Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassadors and members. This was a very important meeting. There will also be an important public element to it when we publish the report on our findings and what we have learned. We are very grateful. I thank both ambassadors for being with us today. Our knowledge of Romania and Moldova has increased no end, including places such as Chiinu, Palanca, Iai and up as far as Siret. This has given deeper meaning to the relationship between Moldova and Romania but also, within the European Union context, the importance of solidarity and the words that were used today.

I thank the members for their engagement this morning. We will continue these discussions. Follow-up is key. One point that we picked up in various meetings with politicians in Moldova and Romania was that they were talking about the future. Yes, there was an acknowledgement of the present difficulties and challenges but they were talking about the future. There was a considerable degree of hope in those deliberations around rebuilding and working together more closely, irrespective of geographical distances. One thing I learned at a personal level was that we have a lot more in common that we have differences. We will continue to work with H.E. Mrs. Miculet on EU involvement and the different signals and suggestions from politicians around bridging the gaps, which are certainly not insurmountable. We look forward to meeting the politicians when they come here, and with Mrs. Miculet and Mr. Zurabashvili. We will keep a close eye on the Ukrainian application as well. The suggestion to bring the Minister for Foreign Affairs before the committee would be a good next step.