RSS
President Iohannis had the annual meeting with diplomatic missions heads in Bucharest
Romania's accession to the Schengen area is essential, president Klaus Iohannis stated on Tuesday at the annual meeting of diplomatic missions' heads in Bucharest. "Accession to the Schengen area continues to be on our agenda, as it is essential for the strengthening of the Union's security,' the head of state said.
He also pleaded for timely preparation of the logistic aspects and those of substance for Romania's exercising the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019.
"A Presidency which, among other complex cases, will also have to manage the negotiations for the post-2020 new multiannual financial Framework, within which the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy must keep an important place and role, upon which rests the prosperity of the entire Union. A Presidency in preparation of which the creation of the favourable framework must be permanently envisaged this year, in order to have a successful informal summit of the European leaders in Sibiu, on 9 May 2019, when important decisions regarding the strategic agenda and the Union's future must be made," Iohannis affirmed.
According to him, Romania, as a state with a pro-European nation, without Euro-skeptical political parties, has the legitimacy to participate alongside the hard core of the Union, states like Germany and France, in its strengthening.
"Inside the EU, we are an active participant to the process of strengthening the European project. The vision that I endorse is sincere and constructive, favorable to a more profound integration. As a state with a pro-European nation, without any Euro-skeptical political parties, we have the legitimacy to participate alongside the states representing the hard core of the Union, Germany and France, in its strengthening; in order that, in end, to have a strong Union, closer to its citizens, capable of ensuring their security and prosperity. In order that this strengthening of the Union will be legitimate and succeed, it cannot be done only by a handful of states from the Western side of the Union. Romania can be the Eastern pillar of the Union," said the President.
He also underscored that "there can be no such alternative" to this option of joining the hard core of the EU.
"Any other alternative of bringing this debate to the regional level would be contrary to the core aspirations, interests and values that our country has, follows and promotes. This is why there is need of a concept for strengthening the European construction that will exclude the nucleuses of integration reserved only for some or the concentric exclusive circles or the different speeds, without the possibility for some of ever catching up the higher speed. On the contrary, these nucleuses must remain open to all those that can adhere to them, so that the negative experience of delaying the Schengen accession, for instance, would not repeat itself. This is why it is very important, as a test, to open a new dimension of the EU defence, including through permanent structured cooperation, PESCO, to which Romania decided to participate from the very beginning" said Iohannis.
He also underscored the importance of the Strategic Partnership for the European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, adding that Romania will continue the policy of strengthening democratic institutions and bilateral strategic interconnection projects.
"It is a permanent priority for Romania to make a decisive contribution to bringing the Republic of Moldova closer to European values and standards in the most concrete and effective manner. But even more so this year, as we celebrate the Centennial of Modern Romania and when we inherently get acutely and closely aware of our common language, culture and history, we have the duty to support deep-going reform at the level of the institutions and the society capable of contributing to this goal through the real interconnection of the Republic of Moldova and its citizens with the European Union and the concrete, tangible benefits of European integration. We will therefore continue the policy of strengthening the democratic institutions, bilateral strategic interconnection projects and those with direct positive effects for the citizens," said Iohannis.
President also referred to the development of strategic relations with France, Germany, Poland and Italy.
"Last year, strategic relations with France and Germany have deepened and opened new perspectives for European coordination, through the meeting last June in Berlin with Chancellor Merkel, and those in Brussels and Bucharest in June and August with President Macron, and we have also acted towards strengthening the strategic partnership with Poland, particularly in the security field. We will further pursue these lines of action in 2018, and as a general rule, we will continue to develop Romania's European strategic partnerships and bilateral relations, as is the partnership with Italy," said President Iohannis.
În his opinion, the Romanian society is a mature one, which proved capable of fighting for the values which it believes in , but this society also needs a state to match it.
"2018 is truly the best moment to reflect deeply and act wisely for the present and future of the Romanian society. This is the moment when we need to take on our legitimate country project, on our way of developing and the paths to be followed, inside and outside the country, in order to reach it. (...) Only a project like this can properly respond to the risks Romania is facing, both at internal and external level, because of our complicated vicinity. In order to ensure our present and future, we need to answer to these risks, by building a performing state, a strong and resilient Romania, meaning a state where liberal democracy and the rule of law are fully consolidated with the help of an independent and efficient justice, a state that operates to the benefit of all its citizens and is capable of offering them prosperity and safety. We have a mature society that has already proven that it is capable of admirably fighting for the values which it believes in. But this mature and active society also needs a state to match it," said Iohannis.
"Only with inner strength Romania can face the external challenges as well, which are not just a few. Only like this, we can consolidate our role as a provider of security and stability that we have already started to play in the past years. Only like this, we can continue to build Romania's international profile, so that Romania will continue to have your respect, the respect of our external partners," said Iohannis.