Romanian President Nicusor Dan said he met with members of the Romanian community in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region and assured them that protecting their rights is an “absolute priority” for the Romanian state.

Axar.az reports, citing Romanian media, that the Romanian president said that Romania would continue building strong economic partnerships in the region while maintaining its “moral duty” toward Romanians living outside the country.

“Before participating in the economic forum [the Carpathian Initiative Summit], I stopped in Polianytsia, where I spoke with Romanians from Transcarpathia about their real needs on the ground and preserving their national identity. I assured them that protecting their rights is an absolute priority of the Romanian state,” Dan said.