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President Iohannis: I hope we will be able to reach an agreement with the Canadian side in respect to the visa regime liberalisation for Romanians
President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that in case a reasonable understanding with Canada in respect to the visa regime liberalisation for Romanians is reached, Romania will withdraw the reserves it has related to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
"Referring to the Agreement with Canada, the CETA, I hope we will be able to reach an agreement with the Canadian side in respect to the visa regime liberalisation for Romanians, and, if a reasonable understanding is reached, we shall be able to withdraw our reserves regarding this agreement," Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Palace.
He underscored that for Romania it is important to have a full visa regime liberalisation in reasonable terms.
"A reasonable understanding means an understanding for the visa regime liberalisation, in a reasonable time and without unacceptable conditions for us. These matters are still under diplomatic negotiation, and I do not wish to enter details right now. (...) To us it is important for this to happen in 2017, not in 2018, 2019 or any other date. To us it is important to have a full liberalisation in a reasonable time frame," the head of state showed.
President Klaus Iohannis will participate in the European Council meeting of Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
He showed that one of the topics is related to commercial policy, mentioning that the talks will focus on the stage of the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and the revision of the trade defence instruments of the Union.
"In respect to the EU agreement with the US, Romania has been since the beginning a supporter of this agreement, we haven't changed the position and we believe that this agreement can become very important for both sides, generate advantages both for producers and for consumers on both sides," the head of state pointed out.
President Iohannis said that he will support the consolidation of some efficient trade defence instruments.
"These instruments come to secure a loyal competition on the Union's internal market and come to provide protection against non-loyal practices, for instance against dumping. Romania supports the objective of maintaining and developing a competitive European industry as a base for economic growth and for new job creation in Europe, therefore in Romania, too," Iohannis concluded.