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President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday welcomed to the Cotroceni Presidential Palace US Attorney General William Barr, with the latter underscoring the importance of Romania remaining a predictable, stable and accountable ally that promotes democratic values and the rule of law.
"The US official expressed great appreciation for the solidity of the strategic partnership with Romania, which is the most trusted ally of the US in the region, with bilateral relations that are very close not only in terms of defence and security co-operation, but also in terms of law enforcement, including the cyberspace. The US Attorney General highlighted the importance of Romania remaining a predictable, stable and responsible ally that observes and promotes democratic values and the rule of law. In this context, Attorney General William Barr expressed his strong appreciation and support of the United States of America for the firm stance and strong efforts of President Klaus Iohannis in supporting the rule of law, combating corruption and strengthening an independent, fair and transparent judiciary to the benefit of citizens," the Presidential Administration said in a press statement.
According to the same source, Iohannis praised the substance and dynamics of the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, which has become increasingly strong in recent years, reiterating Romania's and his personal consistent commitment to deepening all the dimensions of the partnership: politics, defence and security, but also in the field of legal co-operation and the rule of law. He also pointed to the need for economic co-operation to reach the same level of excellence.
"The President of Romania mentioned the recent European elections and a referendum on justice matters that demonstrated that Romanian citizens are deeply attached to democratic values and they understand the importance of an independent and efficient judiciary, without which there can be no functional democracy," according to the Presidential Administration.
Barr and Iohannis also exchanged views on the excellent results of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council and the prospects for trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States of America.
US ambassador to Romania Hans Klemm was among the members of the US Attorney General's retinue.
Presidential advisers Bogdan Aurescu, Ion Oprisor and Mihaela Ciochina and senior officials Madalina Dobrovolschi and Daniela Barsan attended as part of President Iohannis's retinue.
Barr came to Romania to participate in an EU-US ministerial meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) council, organised by the Romanian Presidency at the Council of the European Union.
