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President Iohannis convenes CSAT for September 17: Romania wants voluntary migrant quotas
President Klaus Iohannis has announced having convened the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) for September 17, where he is to unveil his opinion on voluntary migrant quotas being kept in place."The phenomenon is important to us because we are in the European Union, but in Romania there is no such pressure coming from this area. We can deal with the matter calmly, responsibly, displaying solidarity with the countries where there is a huge number of refugees. We should not react hysterically, as we should not display a xenophobic side of ourselves. We have to display solidarity with the other EU member states, but voluntary quotas should be kept in place. I do not believe mandatory quotas are the solution. I will unveil this opinion next week at the CSAT meeting. I convened the CSAT for September 17. The same opinion I will also unveil to the European Council in mid-October and I will also take into account the Government's data. Preliminary data show we are entitled to request voluntary quotas," Iohannis told a news conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.
He pointed out that Romania can accommodate 1,785 refugees.
"Right now, Romania's capacity stands at 1,500 places, of which 200 are already occupied," Prime Minister Victor Ponta declared on Monday..
"At 11.30pm I had a phone conversation with the Bulgarian prime minister; I had already talked with the Serbian and Slovakian prime ministers, because I want to have alongside Interior Minister [Vice Prime Minister Gabriel] Oprea a very clear position of our Government about the refugees (...) so that Romania has a consolidated stance on the meeting of the CSAT [Supreme Council for Country's Defence]. I think the CSAT will convene next week," Ponta mentioned at the offices of his Social Democrat Party.
He added that he first discussed the topic with President Klaus Iohannis, while talks with the Interior minister concerned the logistics.
"We can see now the injustice done to Romania about the Schengen [Area], and if we're solidary in obligations, we're also solidary in rights, and the same countries that now ask our solidarity on the issue of refugees have kept postponing us about Schengen. Under no circumstances can we receive on the short term more refugees than we can accommodate," Ponta stressed.
According to him, the European countries must find solution to eliminate the migration's causes, not its effects.
The decision on accepting the allocated quotas of refugees belongs to the CSAT, the premier asserted.
President Iohannis on the case of the Romanian national kidnapped in Burkina Faso
President Klaus Iohannis also said Monday that the authorities of the state are treating the case of the Romanian national kidnapped in Burkina Faso with highest attention and involvement, adding that in order to succeed, the case needs as little publicity as possible.
"The Romanian state is treating the case with highest attention and involvement. I have dispatched a delegate to the task force operating under the tutelage of the Foreign Ministry. I know very precisely where we are now. The actions are conducted by the book, but such actions are successful only if little publicity is made of them. That is why the task force communicated when it could communicate. This is a situation that requires specific treatment," Iohannis told a news conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.