ISLAMABAD, JAN 25 (DNA) – Ambassador of Romania Nicolae Goia has said that Romania has taken over the rotating Presidency of the Council of European Union amidst challenge of Brexit.While speaking during a reception he hosted to mark the beginning of the Presidency, Ambassador Goia said the first Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is taking place against a backdrop of a large-scale developments that will determine the shape of the Union in the decades to come.
He added the reflection of the future of the European Union; the United Kingdom’s process of leaving the EU; the transition toward a new legislative cycle as a result of European elections in May 2019, and implicitly the end of the present European Commission and European Parliament’s terms of office are challenges but opportunities at the same time as well.
“Brexit, a major challenge during our Presidency, takes the European Union into a new reality, solutions will be found that this will be orderly managed, and the unity of the EU27, not only maintained but strengthen while striking for strong and close future relations with UK”.
He said during its six month mandate, Romania has the chance to prove its strong support for advancing with the European project of integration, acting as a genuine and honest broker in order to find solution that enables European agenda.
The approach of the Romanian Presidency revolves around the principle of cohesion among Member States, regions and citizens. The motto of our mandate is therefore “Cohesion, a common European value”.
From this perspective, Romania aims at achieving tangible results and at maximising the benefits that a strong and cohesive Union could bring to each and every citizen.
Enhancing the political cohesion and the economic dimension of cohesion will go together with enforcing the social component of cohesion for the betterment of the Union as a community but, even more important, for the benefits of the citizens.
The Romanian Presidency’s will focus on four main pillars, which will be seen in the specific actions of ten configurations of the Council of the EU, as well as in the events that will that will take place throughout the semester and they are: 1/ Europe of convergence; 2/A safer Europe; 3/Europe, a stronger global actor; 4/ Europe of common values. (for more details a set of documents is waiting to be picked up at the end of tonight event).
Romania he said will deploy considerable efforts both in terms of the substantive matters, which are of high complexity, and in terms of logistics, which implies extensive preparation process and continues to require the mobilization of the entire Romanian public administration and society.
The following six months are also a great chance to bring Romanians closer to the citizens of the other Member States, to present a European country deeply anchored in the cultural and spiritual tradition of the European continent.
Regarding the external relations of the EU, during its mandate the Presidency of the EU Council will support the efforts of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as the chief coordinator of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European.
The Ambassador also congratulated France and Germany for signing the new Elysee Treaty which from the European perspectives aims to place Franco-German cooperation in a European framework, to strengthen the EU and, above all, to enable it to face contemporary challenges.=DNA
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