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PM Ciolacu: Romanians can only be kept in the country by developing public services and infrastructure
Romanians can only be kept in the country by developing public services and infrastructure, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Sunday, during a reception where he met with Romanians settled in the USA.
"I did not come here to insist that you return to Romania, because I know that you will not do it. You have established and already have a family in the United States, and I am firmly convinced that it is very difficult for you to return to Romania at this point. Instead, we can develop things together," he pointed out.
Marcel Ciolacu said that he hopes that "the USA will become the most important direct investor in Romania in all fields and the most important non-EU trade partner of Romania."
In this way, he appreciated, the diaspora will find the way to communicate better with the country.
"No matter how much the Government of Romania will insist with the start-up nation programme for the diaspora, the elite that is in this country needs something more," the head of the Executive pointed out.
He confessed that at one point he wanted to leave Romania himself.
"This is for the first time when I am staying in the United States for more than 24 hours. Last time I was only transiting to South America, in a mission with the OSCE. However, 30 years ago, just like you, I too wanted to be a part of the Romanian diaspora, somewhere in Europe, in Great Britain. I did not succeed in this. My brother also tried. He stayed in Germany for about ten years and then returned to the country with his family," he pointed out.
Ciolacu also spoke about the security situation in our country.
"We went through a pandemic, the same like you here, through an energy crisis, through an exaggerated inflation and more recently in Romania we are also going through a regional security crisis and, last but not least, through a global security crisis, Romania sharing its longest border with Ukraine, and the truth is that Romania is currently standing behind the Ukrainian front. Romania could not have done this without its strategic partner, the United States of America," the head of the Executive said.
He also referred to the efforts made to include Romania in the Visa Waiver programme.
"I am firmly convinced that, with your help, our soul project, of all Romanians, which is also the soul project right now of the United States Ambassador to Romania, lifting the visas and the Visa Waiver programme, will become a reality as of 2025. However, we will not be able to overcome this challenge without your help and without your personal involvement," the Prime Minister addressed those present.
The US Ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, who also attended the event in Washington D.C., stated that the strategic partnership "has never been more important than now, in the context of the threats we face in Europe, due to an aggressive Russia and the attack against Ukraine."
"Romania was a strong partner and made a lot of efforts to support Ukraine, especially in terms of grain transportation, receiving refugees and in the field of military assistance," the diplomat pointed out.
She also talked about the military acquisitions that our country made from the United States of America.
"We, the American side, are doing everything we can to strengthen the deterrence and defence position of Romania on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance. The Minister of Defence and I had the pleasure of seeing some of the new capabilities that Romania has acquired," stated Kavalec.
Regarding the inclusion of Romania in the Visa Waiver programme, she said that there is progress.
AGERPRES.
