PM Dancila tells Council SecGen Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen Romania's upcoming EU Presidency - a Gov't priority

Premier Viorica Dancila said on Thursday that Romania's taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a priority for the government, stressing that the organization and preparations for this term at the EU helm are handled with particular care.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you today in Bucharest, as preparations for Romania's upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union are running full throttle. I want to assure you that to us, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a priority and we are aware that we must exercise it in such way as to answer to the challenges related to the Brexit, the post-Brexit EU, the challenges related to the multi-annual financial framework, and at the same time move forward the files we will take over from the Austrian Presidency, Premier Dancila said at the beginning of a meeting with Secretary General of the European Council Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen at the Victoria Palace of Government.

The head of the Executive also mentioned that an inter-ministerial committee has been set up, tasked with organizing the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council.

We have set up an inter-ministerial committee, which includes government representatives, representatives of the Romanian Presidency and Parliament, so that we are able to reach consensus on this national project and that we achieve an as good as possible term in office, Dancila said.

In his turn, Secretary General of the EU Council Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen thanked the Romanian PM for the meeting, stating that all the other meetings he had Thursday morning in Bucharest have reinforced his conviction that Romania is on the right track as far as preparations for a "successful Presidency" of the EU Council next year are concerned.

Several members of the government also attended the meeting with the Secretary General of the EU Council at the Victoria Palace. AGERPRES (RO - author: Madalina Cerban, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)