PM Dancila: Romanian Parliament to shortly vote final form of EU Council's presidency

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced on Wednesday that the final program form of the presidency of the Council of the European Union will be voted shortly in the Romanian Parliament.

"I want to assure you from the very beginning that Romania is ready to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. We are prepared both from an organizational and logistic point of view, but also from the point of view of the program that we have for taking over the presidency," declared Dancila at the beginning of the meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament and of the Government of Romania, which is taking place at Victoria Palace.

The prime minister welcomed the presence in Bucharest of the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament.

"We appreciate your presence here, in the Centennial Year, a year in which Romania celebrates one hundred years since the Greater Union. We enjoy your presence here, on the first visit prior to the taking over of the presidency of the Council of the European Union by Romania on 1 January 2019," said Dancila.

She pointed out that the talks at the meeting will focus on important topics for the European Union, stating that the subjects related to Romania's preparation for the presidency of the EU Council "will bring added value".

"At the same time, it will help us to see common points regarding both the future presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament," Dancila said.

The head of the Bucharest Government said that during the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, many events will be held in Romania and in Brussels.

"The program includes four distinct points: a Europe of cohesion, which is also the motto of the presidency of the Council of the European Union held by Romania - 'Europe of the European common values', a Europe of security, the boost of the European Union's global role and, of course, the promotion of the European values," said Viorica Dancila. AGERPRES (RO - author: Madalina Cerban, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi; editor: Simona Iacob)