Antonio Costa Meets Nicusor Dan to Discuss EU Budget

European Council President Antonio Costa visited Bucharest on Thursday for a series of diplomatic meetings with Romanian President Nicusor Dan at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. The visit included a tête-à-tête meeting and official talks focused on the European Union budget for the 2028–2034 period.

During the discussions, President Dan advocated for an ambitious budget with substantial allocations for agriculture and cohesion to reduce disparities between member states. He specifically called for increased competitiveness funds for companies in less developed countries and requested streamlined mechanisms to reduce the bureaucracy that hinders fund absorption.

The leaders also addressed the security situation and continued support for Ukraine, the consolidation of a common European energy market, and the progress of the Republic of Moldova's EU accession process ahead of the October European Council meeting. This visit is part of a broader diplomatic tour by Costa, who is scheduled to meet with Bulgarian Prime Minister Ruman Radev in Sofia and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on the same day.