Deputy PM Stanescu at 16+1 Summit in Budapest; Strengthening this cooperation format on the agenda

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds Paul Stanescu participated in the 6th Summit of heads of government of Central and Eastern European countries and China (referred to as the "16+1 cooperation format), which was held in Budapest on Monday. 

According to a release of the Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds (MDRAPFE), sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, Romania's official delegation was led by Paul Stanescu and included representatives of the Gov't Secretariat General (SGG) and the Foreign Affairs, Energy, Transport, Regional Development and Business Environment Ministries. 

"The debates within the Summit highlighted the interest of all participating states in strengthening this cooperation format in the context of gobalisation, a phenomenon that imposes a fast pace of transformations of traditional interhuman connections, especially through innovation and orientation towards sustainable development," the release shows. 

Furthermore, the necessity to capitalise on synergy between European policies and initiatives of the "16+1" framework and those of the "Silk Road" were highlighted. At the end of the meeting, the document called "The Budapest Guidelines," that establishes the priority cooperation areas for 2018 was approved, the release mentions. 

In the speech delivered to the plenary session, Paul Stanescu underscored Romania's position to actively participate in promoting multisectorial collaboration in the "16+1" format. 

"Our commitment for the involvement in developing cooperation in this format has recently materialised, through initiatives that aim at the cohesion dimension and interhuman relations, but also in the energy area, which is of strategic importance for all the partners," Stanescu stated. 

In his opinion, the action must be a pragmatic one, oriented towards identifying common solutions to shared challenges. 

"We should not forget that the main recipients of initiatives and projects under debate are our citizens, the most valuable resource of our nations' progress. In the current global context, the peaceful and harmonious cooperation of states has become imperative in achieving the shared objective of prosperity. Precisely because of that, the dialogue on the cooperation between our countries should have in mind all the dimensions of connectivity," Stanescu added. 

The meeting occasioned a private meeting with Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang and a bilateral dialogue with his Chinese counterpart, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China He Lifeng. 

"The Romanian dignitary highlighted that the development of the bilateral cooperation relations represents a priority for Romania, with a special emphasis on the economic and commercial dimension, in order to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the expansion of Chinese economy on a global level, in the context of celebrating, in 2019, 70 years since the establishment of the Romanian-Chinese diplomatic relations and the 15 anniversary since the launch of the Ample Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation," the release informs. 

In the presence of 17 delegations, on the meeting sidelines, head of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) Geronimo Branescu and head of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Zhi Shuping have signed the protocol regarding the sanitary-veterinary and phytosanitary conditions for the export of Romanian alfalfa in China. 

In respect to financial-banking cooperation, the event occasioned the conclusion of Interbank Association Agreement "16+1," Eximbank Romania becoming a signatory part of the document.