Interim Foreign Minister Oana Toiu brings to mind that the social security agreement between Romania and the United States officially entered into force on 1 September.
"We completed the implementation of the agreement in the spring, together with the Foreign Ministry team and the US Department of State, and as of 1 September, after decades of waiting, Romanians and US citizens know that they can rely on the partnership between our countries when they need their rights to be recognised, such as pension entitlements or rights related to self-employed activities. For generations of Romanians who have worked in the US - whether they left before 1989 or more recently - for US citizens who choose to retire in Romania and for today's young professionals and entrepreneurs, this agreement directly changes the situation," Toiu wrote on Facebook on Thursday, agerpres reports.
According to her, periods worked in Romania and the US can now be combined when establishing eligibility for a pension. No month of contributions is lost due to bureaucratic barriers between the two countries.
At the same time, self-employed workers and seconded specialists are protected from paying social security contributions twice, while Romanian and US companies can mobilise their workforce more easily, boosting bilateral investment.
"Completing this implementation framework, together with the US Department of State, was a priority I undertook from my first visits to Washington. The Strategic Partnership with the United States is based on security and political dialogue, but it grows day by day through the ties between our people, through our communities and through mutual respect for the work carried out," Oana Toiu said.
