BUCHAREST -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has arrived in Romania to underscore Berlin's support for its NATO ally, where he said that, like Bucharest, it will continue to back Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, and he also met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in the Romanian capital.
Scholz also told Romanian leaders on April 3 that he wants to see the country join the Schengen passport-free travel zone by the end of 2023.
"It is good to have a partner like Romania that we can rely on. Germany stands firmly on Romania's side. This also means that Romania will obtain Schengen accession this year," Scholz told a news briefing standing aside Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
"We will support Ukraine militarily as much as needed," Scholz said, adding that "I would like to express my gratitude for Romania's taking in of many Ukrainian refugees."
According to UN statistics, Romania is hosting more than 100,000 Ukrainians who have fled since Russia's invasion began in February 2022, although millions more have passed through Romania on the way to other countries.
Iohannis said that Germany was not only Romania's most important economic partner, but also a reliable ally.
"We discussed the multidimensional support given to Ukraine in various areas...as well as the measures we have taken in support of the over 3.8 million Ukrainian refugees who crossed our border and the over 110,000 of them who have decided to stay in Romania."
The two leaders also discussed defense cooperation, with Iohannis stressing the growing strategic importance of the Black Sea region and calling for NATO to "significantly strengthen" its defense and deterrence efforts there.
After meeting Iohannis, the German chancellor was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and other government delegations.
Scholz and Iohannis also met with Sandu for a trilateral discussion during her visit to Bucharest.
Moldova, a country of roughly 2.7 million, is located between Romania and Ukraine and has a history that is deeply intertwined with Romania.
The two neighbors share a common history, culture, and language. The eastern region of Romania is also called Moldova.
One of Europe's poorest countries, Moldova has been confronted with further instability by Russia's war in Ukraine. It has received thousands of Ukrainian refugees and fears a potential Russian invasion aided by Russian troops stationed in its breakaway Transdniester region.
Sandu, in a news briefing alongside the other two leaders, stressed the importance of Moldova's partnership and dialogue with Romania and Germany and recalled her country's intention to support the creation of an international tribunal for the punishment of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
"Moldova supports the creation of a special international tribunal that will investigate and prosecute the aggression and crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine," she said.
"We will stand by Ukraine and support it until victory. The Republic of Moldova is protected today by the shield of Ukrainian heroes. Europe is strong because of the unity and firmness with which it defends peace and people's lives," she added.
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"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state is inviolable. That is why we are supporting Moldova in defending itself against destabilization by Russia," he said.
Iohannis expressed the vital importance of supporting Chisinau's "stability and resilience."
"Moldova's situation is very much complicated by hybrid attacks from Russia -- a major complication is the large number of Ukrainian refugees and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Moldovan economy," he said.
Former Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu told RFE/RL that Scholz's visit was an important event because, so far, Germany had exhibited "some caution in political and strategic involvement."
"Chancellor [Angela] Merkel waited five years before making an official visit to Romania," he said.
"An upgrade at this moment of the relations between Romania and Germany, in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, is absolutely normal, natural, and necessary, including with regard to the security of the German state and the center of Europe. And Romania cannot be missing from such a project," Diaconescu said.
Also on April 3, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck arrived in Kyiv on April 3 on an unannounced visit, expressing support for Kyiv in its battle against Russia.