ORU Fogar and ARFE visit the border regions of Romania

Carles Llorens, Secretary–General of ORU Fogar, and Martín Guillermo Ramírez, Secretary–General of the Association of European Border Regions, ARFE, have been leading an intense work agenda in the northeast of Romania taking advantage of the celebration of the Bureau of ORU Fogar. This joint itinerary has allowed both Secretaries-General to strengthen ties with key regions that make up the European Union’s external border and to analyze at first hand the geopolitical challenges of the area.

In Iaşi, Llorens and Ramírez met with Costel Alexe, president of the Departmental Council, who requested the intermediation of networks to streamline bureaucratic problems that make it difficult to create a single border control with Moldova. This work line was reinforced by the meeting held with the Secretariat of the Programme Interreg NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova, where Martín Guillermo claimed the effectiveness of this programme in emergency management, pointing it out as a superior model even to many internal borders of the Union.

The delegation also traveled to Botoşani to meet with Vice President Constantin Bursuc, exploring collaborations in a territory bordering simultaneously Ukraine and Moldova. The commitment to regional stability continued in Suceava, where they met with Cezar Ioja, administrator of the Departmental Council. This meeting highlighted the crucial humanitarian role that the region currently plays and its strategic importance for the future reconstruction of Ukraine when the conflict ends.

Finally, the tour concluded with a technical meeting with the Secretariat of Cross Border Cooperation (BRCT) in Suceava. In this session, the two Secretaries-General explored how the architecture of international networks can serve as a real lever to support Ukraine, transforming regional diplomacy into a tool for effective aid and cross-border development at Europe’s borders.