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The availability and capacity to actively contribute through parliamentary diplomacy to strengthening EU relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states was central theme of talks held Thursday by Chairman of the Romanian Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu with a group of senior representatives of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU).
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 37th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest, March 16-20, at the invitation of the Romanian Senate, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"Calin Popescu-Tariceanu voiced satisfaction with the opportunity offered by Romania's rotating presidency of the EU Council to host an interregional event of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, thus having a special opportunity to demonstrate the availability and capacity to actively contribute, through parliamentary diplomacy, to strengthening the EU's relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states," according to a press statement released by the Senate on Thursday.
Tariceanu briefly reviewed co-operation relations between Romania and the African states, highlighting the contribution of the Romanian universities to the training of specialists in various industries that have supported the development of independent countries on the continent during the process of post-colonial emancipation.
He also underlined the importance of Romania to relationships with CARICOM Caribbean Community, mentioning the first three technical assistance projects devoted by Romania to the Caribbean region in 2018 under RoAid.
Also discussed at the meeting was the state of play and the prospects for multilateral co-operation, the role of multilateral diplomacy and the importance of parliamentary dialogue to promote multilateralism in the context of the priority attached by the Romanian presidency of the EU Council to strengthening the multilateral system, the observance of international law and fostering co-operation between the EU and the ACP.
The meeting was attended by Joseph Owona Kono, chair of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly and co-president of the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly; Lucie Milebou-Aubusson Mboussou, chair of the Gabonese Senate; Chafo Tagesse, speaker of the House of People's Representatives of the Ethiopia; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sir Louis Straker, and Michael Peyrefitte, Belize's attorney general and minister of legal affairs.
The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created to bring together the elected representatives of the European Union (the Members of the European Parliament) and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states ("ACP countries") that have signed the Cotonou Agreement.
