On the second part of his official visit to Paris, Minister for European Affairs George Ciamba participated in consultations with Amélie de Montchalin, State Secretary for European Affairs and with Philippe Etienne, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of France Emmanuel Macron.
In the dialogue between the Romanian Minister and Philippe Étienne, Diplomatic Adviser to President Emmanuel Macron, the two dignitaries approached the future of Europe and emphasised that Romania and France embraced convergent outlooks and visions on the importance of a stronger, more efficient and more democratic Union, one that should be closer to its citizens. In that context, the Romanian dignitary highlighted that the Summit of the Heads of State or Government of the European Union, to be held in Sibiu on May 9, represented an important event for the future of Europe.
The Romanian official and the French party also approached the next steps to be taken with respect to the EU enlargement policy, in view of the new Communication on the Enlargement Package to be published by the European Commission would by the end of May 2019. The Romanian minister asked for the support of the French party in order to prepare the political decisions regarding all the partner countries involved in the enlargement process and to adopt the Council Conclusions, in line with the decisions taken at the General Affairs Council of June 26, 2018.
The discussions of the Romanian minister with his French counterpart, Amélie de Montchalin, focused on the progress the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU had made so far in its mandate – a term of particular complexity due to the end of the legislative and institutional cycle of the EU, the pre-electoral context in the EU, as well as Brexit.
The French interlocutor expressed her appreciation for the efforts that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU had made in order to advance the European agenda, which materialised in set of significant results for the Union.
In that respect, the Romanian dignitary pointed to the completion of the negotiations on enlarging the mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, as well as on the adoption of the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority, and mentioned the conclusion a joint agreement with the European Parliament on the European Defence Fund.
The minister delegate for European affairs reiterated that it was important to safeguard the unity of the EU, especially in the context of Brexit, by engaging all the Member States in that process in a constructive and transparent way. He thus recalled the efforts made by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU in order to ensure close coordination and a well-structured dialogue on that issue with the Eurogroup.
The parties also underlined that it was necessary to strengthen the internal security of the European Union and to identify the optimal practical solution to manage the migration phenomenon.
The two parties also highlighted that it was critical to continue implementing actions targeting a stronger internal market, one that would have no barriers or restrictions and that would safeguard a fair and equal treatment for all the EU citizens. They also recalled that it was necessary to keep focusing on the social dimension of the internal market.
The meeting was an opportunity to fine-tune the preparation of a meeting of the officials charged with European affairs and culture, to be held in Paris on May 3. Their gathering is circumscribed to the fire that has ravaged Notre Dame and is aimed at launching a reflection on the establishment of a cooperation mechanism among EU Member States in order to protect the cultural heritage, an intrinsic part of the European identity.