Dancila, Bakhtadze decide speeding up efforts to develop Romania-Georgia tourism

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila had talks with a governmental delegation from Georgia headed by Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, on Monday, at Victoria Palace, where the two officials established to step up efforts to develop tourism between the two countries, considered a field with a huge potential. A cultural cooperation agreement between Romania's Ministry of Culture and National Identity and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia was also signed at the Government's headquarters. "We have also discussed about the development of bilateral relations in education and culture, all the more so since the relations between the Romanian and the Georgian people were built on solid cultural links and here I am very pleased to remember Anthim the Iberian, who was born in Georgian lands and who, along with Deacon Coresi, is the greatest publisher and author of language in the medieval Romanian culture," Dancila said in the joint statements with the Georgian Prime Minister. The Romanian Prime Minister mentioned that she reviewed together with Bakhtadze the present stage and prospects for the development of the Romanian-Georgian relations in important fields of activity such as transport, energy and trade. "We reiterated Romania's firm support for the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Georgia and we encouraged the continuation of the ambitious reform agenda promoted by the Georgian Government. The development of EU relations with the Eastern partners is a priority of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, in which we actively get involved in promoting the objectives assumed within the Eastern Partnership. (...) The security and stability of Georgia are essential to the security and stability of the entire the Black Sea region, therefore, in addition to supporting Georgia's ever closer cooperation with NATO, we are exploring the potential for bilateral cooperation. We have taken this opportunity to reiterate Romania's firm support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders," she said. "We have agreed to regularly hold meetings of the Joint Commission to fully capitalize on the existing potential. Connectivity in its entirety, whether it relates to business-to-business relations, to tourism, to inter-personal contacts in general, is an important element and we will further support it. I would like to encourage the Romanian companies to explore the business opportunities offered by Georgia," added Premier Dancila.AGERPRES (RO - author: Dana Piciu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Simona Iacob)