The governments in Kyiv and Bucharest have agreed to establish the first Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Romania. It will operate in Cluj, and entrepreneur Vasile Serioja Ruscovan has been appointed as Honorary Consul.
He is a Romanian citizen and a member of the historical Ukrainian community in Maramureș. Vasile Serioja Ruscovan holds degrees in Law and Economics. More than two decades ago, he served as a parliamentary advisor to Professor Vasile Pușcaș during the period when the latter was Romania’s Chief Negotiator with the European Union and a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
Subsequent to his public career, Vasile Serioja Ruscovan dedicated himself to entrepreneurship and charitable activities. He founded Kapamed International, a company specializing in the production of pharmaceutical products and smart management solutions for healthcare units. The company operates in Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Moldova.
Furthermore, as President of the Ruscovan Association, the new Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Cluj has been actively involved in supporting numerous humanitarian causes in Romania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova. Vasile Serioja Ruscovan supported Ukrainian refugees in Romania, as well as underprivileged children in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. For his efforts, he has received numerous honors from Ukrainian authorities and was decorated with the Silver Collar of the International Academy of Saint Maurice at the Vatican.
His appointment as Honorary Consul will help boost relations between Romania and Ukraine. Specifically, the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Cluj-Napoca will contribute to developing bilateral cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational, and community relations fields, as well as supporting Ukrainian citizens in the region.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Romania, Ihor Prokopchuk, emphasized the importance of the opening and efficient operation of the Honorary Consulate as an additional instrument for strengthening friendly relations and the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Romania.
“We sincerely congratulate Mr Vasile-Serioja Ruscovan on his appointment as Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Cluj-Napoca. We wish him great success in fulfilling this highly responsible mission, along with inspiration and energy in strengthening the Ukrainian-Romanian partnership, developing interregional cooperation, and supporting the Ukrainian community!
Ukraine will continue to make efforts to strengthen and expand its consular presence in Romania,” stated the Ambassador of Ukraine to Romania.
“My goal for this mandate is to leverage the complementarity of the five counties within the jurisdiction of the Honorary Consulate—Arad, Brașov, Cluj, Maramureș, and Timiș—transforming this region into a benchmark platform for Romanian-Ukrainian cooperation in the economic, academic, cultural, and institutional fields.
By connecting public authorities, the business community, universities, and civil society, this platform can generate new sources and projects with European funding, contribute to regional development, and offer concrete support for Ukraine’s reconstruction and European integration, alongside resulting economic and social benefits for Romania,” declared the new Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Cluj.
He proposes five strategic directions for his mandate as Honorary Consul of Ukraine:
- Strengthening bilateral economic relations, by facilitating investments, fostering cooperation between business environments, and supporting strategic regional development initiatives such as the Carpathian Integration Initiative (CII);
- Developing partnerships in education, research, and culture, to strengthen dialogue and deepen mutual understanding between the two nations;
- Actively promoting Ukraine’s European path, by supporting the process of integration into the European Union and facilitating institutional cooperation between Romania and Ukraine;
- Protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens residing or temporarily staying in Romania;
- Supporting and encouraging humanitarian initiatives dedicated to Ukraine and the population affected by the war.
Alstom delivers Romania’s first next-gen Traxx electric locomotive
