PM Dancila tells chief Brexit negotiator Barnier Romania pays special attention to Brexit

Romania is paying special attention to the UK leaving the European Union, or Brexit, considering the sizeable local Romanian community in the UK, Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said at a meeting with EU's Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

According to a press statement released by the Romanian government, Dancila welcomed Barnier on Tuesday at the Government House.

"The dialogue between the two officials focused on the negotiations between the European Union and the UK and highlighted the excellent level of co-operation between the Romanian officials and the body led by Barnier amidst Romania assuming the six-moth rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019," the statement said.

Dancila gave assurances over Romania's support to the chief negotiator for the fulfilment of his mandate. At the same time, she reconfirmed the importance of maintaining the unity of the 27 member states around the fundamental principles governing the negotiating process and the guidelines adopted by the European Council.

"Dancila stressed that Romania has approached the Brexit file very attentively because of the sizeable local Romanian community in the UK. She indicated that Romania started domestic preparations as far back as the beginning of the negotiating process in March 2017, setting in place an inter-ministerial mechanism dealing with Brexit. She showed that Romania is ready to manage any possible scenario of the negotiations."

Dancila also praised the progress so far with the negotiations, especially on citizens' rights.

"The Romanian high official emphasised the need to guarantee these rights, showing that Romania will continue to watch carefully the way the provisions of the agreement are implemented so that all Romanian citizens residing in the UK can continue to live, work and study under the same conditions as so far."

With regard to future relations between the European Union and the UK, the prime minister reiterated the importance of maintaining a close relationship between the two sides, indicating that any agreement should be based on a balance between rights and obligations and respect for the EU's decision-making autonomy.

At the same time, Dancila said that mobility is a priority for the Romanian side and that the principles of reciprocity and non-discrimination must be fundamental pillars of the post-Brexit relationship with the UK, according to the press statement. AGERPRES (RO - author: Madalina Cerban, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)