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Prime Minister Viorica Dancila voiced on Wednesday in Thessaloniki, Romania's interest in advancing energy interconnections with Serbia and in streamlining Romanian gas and electricity exports, informs Agerpres.
According to a press release of the Government sent to AGERPRES, Premier Dancila participated in Thessaloniki at the invite of the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a new quadrilateral meeting of Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, alongside Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic.
"The meeting contributed to the consolidation of the high-level dialogue format and to the identification of cooperation ways in the region," reads the release.
Premier Dancila highlighted that given Romania's preparations to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019, the advancement of the interconnection projects with the South-East Europe states, progress in ensuring the region's energy security, the intensification of regional cooperation and the enlargement pursuit with the Western Balkans states represent priority objectives for our country.
As regards inter-connectivity, the emphasis was placed on infrastructure projects in transportation and energy interconnections.
"Romania proposed the setting up of a Working Group in transportation that will identify and establish priority projects to be promoted by the parties in quadrilateral, trilateral and bilateral format and the financing sources, respectively," the release informs.
At the same time, PM Dancila voiced her conviction that common projects will stimulate commerce, the connections between companies and tourism.
"Romania's Prime Minister conveyed our country's special interest in advancing energy interconnections with Serbia and in facilitating Romanian exports of gas and electricity and maintained the importance of enhancing efforts to consolidate energy security at regional and European level, especially by diversifying supply sources and accelerating interconnections," reads the release.
As regards the European Straegy for the Danube Region, Viorica Dancila specified that our country intends to promote its added value in order to ensure economic development, social cohesion and to curb territorial development disparities at the EU level.
"In reference to the enlargement of the European Union with Western Balkans states, she specified that Romania (...) wishes to continue the strong collaboration with the states in this region. She reiterated, on this occasion also, Romania's constant and firm support for Serbia's negotiation process for joining the EU," the release mentions.
At the same time, PM Dancila underscored that the Government aims to build a better integrated region to include the states in the Balkans, as a premise for a durable development in the region.
"Romania's prime Minister upheld during the meeting in Thessaloniki the need for action in view of regional stabilisation meant to combat the factors that facilitate the phenomena of radicalisation and violent extremism, with the involvement of the civil society and of the local and central authorities. Moreover, she brought up the issue of border security, highlighting, in the context, the importance of regional and bilateral cooperation aimed at preventing and fighting illegal migration and organised criminality," the release further informs.
The high officials reunited in Thessaloniki also pointed out that migration remains a priority on the EU agenda, specifying that efforts need to be further made in order to identify the best action ways.
According to the executive, PM Dancila said that "Romania is counting on the ongoing commitment of the states in the region, including Serbia's, in handling challenges triggered by the migration phenomenon."
With regard to the revision of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), Viorica Dancila appreciated the efforts made by the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council in order to achieve compromise on the Dublin proposal but also the developments registered with the other CEAS instruments.
Attending the Thessaloniki quadrilateral meeting were government officials in transportation from Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia who discussed about identifying concrete cooperation possibilities.
