PM Dancila: Romania to make priority of negotiations on multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 during Presidency of EU Council

During Romania's mandate at the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, it will give primary attention to the advance of the negotiations on the future multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stated on Tuesday, at Victoria Palace, during the joint statements alongside Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini. 

"I have especially highlighted that the cohesion policy has both a symbolic value for the advance of the Union and a concrete one, a definite generator of added value, towards ensuring convergence and reducing development gaps. Both Slovakia and Romania, as beneficiaries of this policy, are clear proof of the importance of this policy at European level," Viorica Dancila said. 

The Romanian Prime Minister added that as regards the EU's internal security, she has underscored that the safety consolidation objective will represent one of the pillars upon which Romania's priorities will be defined during its mandate at the Council of the EU. 

"We intend to give special attention to the efforts made to ensure a consolidated framework of the EU's internal security, to the benefit of the European citizens and to support the restoration of the Schengen space's functionality. I have expressed the willingness to closely cooperate with the Slovak side throughout the exercising of the Presidency-in-Office of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, e.n.], especially from the perspective of Romania's holding the Presidency of the EU Council, in the first semester of 2019," PM Dancila affirmed. 

The Prime Minister also mentioned the bilateral topics approached during the discussion with the Slovak counterpart, with a focus on defence and energy, reiterating Romania's support for the BRUA project but also for other forms of regional cooperation that might bring added value for the security of the supply." 

She added that during talks, the evolution of economic relations was appreciated and the importance of strengthening bilateral commercial trade and boosting the investment process between the two states was highlighted. 

The Romanian premier added that "work, social business and internal affairs" also represent domains of interest and referred to the cooperation with the Slovak side in education and culture, reminding that 28 Romanian universities have agreements with 21 Slovak universities, through which they develop university research programmes and education programmes, departments of Slovak and Romanian language departments existing in both Capitals. 

The deepening of the dialogue and cooperation regarding the Romanian community in Slovakia and the Slovak minority in Romania was also discussed during the meeting.