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Prime Minister Ludovic Orban met top EU officials în his first day of the working visit to Brussels
On the first day of his working visit to Brussels, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban met with several European leaders, including the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier.
During the meeting with the President of the European Council, PM Orban assured him of Romania's full support in promoting EU's strategic agenda. The Romanian Prime Minister also met with Michel Barnier, the EU's top Brexit negotiator.
"I agreed with Michel Barnier that the future partnership with UK needs to be ambitious and balanced and take into account aspects beyond the commercial and economic framework. Protection of citizens rights remains at the top of our agenda," the Romanian Prime Minister tweeted.
"Friendly meeting today with PM Ludovic Orban & team. We highlighted the importance of the withdrawal agreement, especially to protect citizens' rights. The EU is preparing for the future relationship negotiations [with London]. Dialogue & transparency remain key for unity," Barnier noted.
After this meeting Prime Minister said that the Romanian citizens currently living in the UK have their rights guaranteed. "Romanians who are today in the UK, have, in fact, their rights guaranteed, there are provisions in the agreement that guarantee their rights. For the European citizens who go to the UK after Brexit there still isn't any regulation yet, it will be the topic of subsequent talks after the UK leaves the EU. For now, we are in the phase in which the agreement is submitted to debate and approval in the European Parliament, the British Parliament," Orban told a press conference at Romania's Permanent Representation to the EU, quoted by Agerpres correspondent.
He added that after the agreement ratification there would be discussions on subsequent agreements regarding the EU - UK relation, and these agreements would include possible provisions concerning European citizens who would go to the UK.
On Tuesday Ludovic Orban had three more meetings in Brussels, with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans and with European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Johannes Hahn.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban continues his three-day visit to Brussels on Wednesday with meeting with European Parliament President David Sassoli and afterwards the two officials are to hold a joint press conference.
Furthermore, the PM will sign in the European Parliament's book of honour and will participate in the meeting of the European People's Party (EPP) Group of the European Parliament.
Also on Wednesday, PM Orban will have meetings with EPP Group Chair Manfred Weber, as well as with leaders of other parliamentary groups, including with Chair of the Renew Europe Group Dacian Ciolos.
Moreover, the PM will have, at the European Commission headquarters, bilateral meetings with European Commission Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, as well as with European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean. The schedule also includes a meeting with Romanian MEPs, which will take place at the headquarters of Romania's Permanent Representation to the EU.