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France's President Macron welcomed at Cotroceni Presidential Palace
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis welcomed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who payed an official visit to Romania, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Thursday.
The French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron have reached the Cotroceni Palace 30 minutes later, the ceremony of their welcoming having being scheduled with 13:00 hrs.
The two French officials were welcomed by President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen Iohannis.
The Romanian president's delegation included the presidential advisers Ion Oprisor, Bogdan Aurescu, Leonard Orban, Andrei Muraru, Cosmin Marinescu, Sergiu Nistor, Romania's ambassador to France, Luca Niculescu, the state secretary with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, George Ciamba and the president's spokeswoman, Madalina Dobrovolschi.
The two heads of state had official one-on-one talks, seconded by a joint news conference.
Macron's visit was agreed upon at the meeting he had with Iohannis, on the sidelines of a European Council meeting of June 23.
The Presidents of Romania and France decided on Thursday to take the two countries' Strategic Partnership to a deeper level, particularly as regards politics, economy, culture and research.
"Today, again, we had very good talks that ended in the decision to deepen the strategic partnership, particularly in the sectors of politics, economy, culture and research," said the Romanian head of state at the end of his meeting at the Cotroceni presidential palace with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who was in Romania on Thursday as part of a three-day trip to Central and Eastern Europe.
Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the visit of the French official to Romania occurs at a symbolic moment because in 2017 there are 25 years since the coming in force of the Romania - France Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, and 2018 will see the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Strategic Partnership.
Iohannis praised the upward dynamics of economic exchanges between the two countries and expressed interest in diversifying French investments in the Romanian economy.
According to the Romanian head of state, the two Presidents expressed their support for the Romania - France cross-cultural season 2018-2019.
Iohannis also expressed the desire to cooperate with France to mark the Great Union Centennial.
"Romania remains one of the European countries most attached to Francophonie and a beacon state of the Francophonie in Central and Eastern Europe," said the Romanian President, who also highlighted the role of the Romanian community in France.
Romania is perfectly entitled to ask to join the Schengen Area, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday at the Cotroceni presidential palace at the end of his meeting with President of Romania Klaus Iohannis.
Our desire is for Europe to march forward. For several years now you have been perfectly entitled to ask to join the Schengen Area (...) and I know how important this is for you. (...) I am totally open to this subject, Macron said.
In his opinion, Europe of the Schengen Area is not working well.
Europe of the Schengen Area is not working well and of course we cannot rejoice in it, and it's my wish that in the coming months we speed up the reform of the common rules in this area, clarify them, have a more solidary attitude, better border control, increased convergence as regards common regulations on asylum and the reception of foreign people, and have you join this discussion, Macron said.
Romania's goal to join the Schengen area stays put, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday during a joint news conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, at the Cotroceni presidential Palace.
Iohannis specified that Romania already acts de facto as a responsible state of the Schengen area, in solidarity with all efforts to strengthening the European Union's external borders.
"Romania's accession will consolidate the Schengen area's security and will convey a strong signal in support of the European construction," the Romanian head of state stressed.
The French President also welcomed Romania's efforts to combat terrorism.
I welcome all the efforts made here towards fighting terrorism, a matter Romania takes in all seriousness, as it also contributed to securing the European Union's external borders, as well as its contribution to our countries' exemplary cooperation on justice and policing, said the President of France.
He said that Romania and Bulgaria's being left outside the Schengen did not help protect this area against migration.
The flaw regarding Romania's joining, Romania's accession to the Schengen Area has to do with the fact that this would have implied the risk of letting migrants enter Europe. ... History shows us that even with Romania and Bulgaria outside the Schengen Area, migrants have still entered Europe, therefore I can see that Romania cooperates in a particularly effective way, makes efforts, observes the rules to join the Schengen Area and having Romania outside the Schengen does not add extra protection to those inside this area, underscored the French head of state.
At the same time, President Macron said he has no reason to oppose Romania's joining the Schengen.
I have no reason to oppose Romania's joining the Schengen Area. My only reservation is that this Schengen Area does not work well today and I want it to undergo in-depth reform and at the same time, that we carry out this reform by joining in those states that have the vocation to integrate with this space ... (...) Today, at European level, there are seven [regulatory] texts under debate on migration issues that are advancing unequally, we lack an overview and I think we need to find our rhythm and a consolidated vision on this subject, a common vision, Macron said.
In the opinion of the French President, the Europe that protects is also the Europe of defence.
In June, we have made some real progress on a European level, with the implementation of a permanent structured cooperation, a European Defence Fund. ... I am glad that today's discussions revealed your willingness to commit Romania to this Europe of defence. ... Our teams and ministers in charge will be able to work in the next few weeks together so that, beyond what has been done so far, the methods of greater integration, a common fund, common capacities, strengthened partnerships in this area be designed, said Emmanuel Macron.
În turn, President Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is a mature member of the European Union, that wishes to be a re-founding member of the EU.
"We have decided to support a strengthened cooperation between Romania and France in the field of European affairs, mainly to support and even re-define the European project we both - President Macron and I - hold very dear. I've assured Mr. President that he can find an authentic partner, deeply attached to the European idea and fully involved in the efforts of re-boosting the EU. Romania is today, ten years since accession, a mature member state, with a very strong European profile, that wishes to be a re-founding member of the EU. In this respect, I've stressed the importance of advancing in the integration process at European level in an inclusive formula, open to all member states, by focusing our joint efforts on consensual initiatives, with concrete, positive results for our citizens. (...) Social Europe must be in the first place a Europe of cohesion, based on a unitary vision wherein the social progress of every member state is a priority goal," Iohannis told the joint conference delivered with French President Macron.
He also specified that Romania wishes to participate from the beginning in the "Europe of Defence" project.
The French President Emmanuel Macron also said on Thursday in Bucharest that he is aware of the Romanian authorities' efforts to integrate Romania in a forward marching Europe.
We are determined to work together on the road map for the future of the European Union, for the Eurozone and for all the approaches that are to be accomplished in the future, because I know you are strongly determined to integrate Romania in a Europe that marches forward, President Macron said at the joint conference with Romanian counterpart Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace.
According to President Iohannis, the directive on posted workers needs improvement, underscoring that certain simplifications and confusions must be avoided. "There is great discontent in France over the workers who apparently are trying to bypass the system rather than fit into it, but we can see a lot of people from Eastern Europe, for instance from Romania, who want to work in France, Germany, Spain. If this is the case, it is very clear that we need to improve this directive. It is inadmissible to see this discontent in Western Europe on the one hand - over incoming workers, and on the other hand to have the desire of the people from the East to live better. They are both legitimate and the fact that this directive has produced such disagreements and divergences does not mean that the people of France are not right or that those from Romania are not right, it means that the directive is not sufficiently clear and good enough," Iohannis told a joint press conference with his visiting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Iohannis also underscored that it is very important to avoid certain simplifications and confusions.