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Joint press statements by Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă and the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, in Brussels

Antonio Tajani: Good afternoon, everyone. I had a long meeting with Prime Minister  Dancila, our former colleague, here, in Parliament, she returned home for a couple of moments to discuss about our relations.  I underlined the importance of Romania’s first mandate at the helm of the Council of the EU, first for the adoption of the multiannual financial framework. The Parliament insists on the final approval of the MFF before the European elections, in this mandate, and we count on the collaboration with the Romanian presidency.

We also discussed about the need for the EU budget to increase, but not out of the citizens’ pockets, but as the Parliament will propose in the coming days, by taxing the digital economy. Another important thing we discussed was Brexit. The EP vote will mean the end of this process and the collaboration with the Romanian presidency will be extremely important here as well.The Romanian preidency will also have an important role in Balkans integration process, will continue what the Bulgarian and the Austrian presidencies will do, considering also the fact that Romania has an in-depth knowledge of Balkan realities.  I have asked the Romanian Government to continue to strengthen the rule of law, continue its fight against corruption and the pursuit of transparency and competitiveness. Madam Prime Minister gave me assurances of her availability to cooperate with the European Parliament and to come in the plenum of the Parliament, to speak about Romania’s projects and for a debate on Europe’s future. Therefore, thank you once again for this visit! Thank you for returning home!

Viorica Dancila: Thank you, Mr. President Antonio Tajani, for your warm welcome and openness shown. It was touching for me to come here today. I came as Prime Minister today and I believe that together with you, with the European leaders, we need to find solutions to the ensuing challenges. We discussed, as Mr. President has mentioned, about the Romanian Presidency starting January 1, 2019, about the challenges that Romania needs to address, the Brexit, the multiannual financial framework. I totally agree with Mr. Tajani regarding the growth of the EU budget or maintaining a budget of the same level while at the same time supporting the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy. I think a good cooperation is beneficial for Europe, for Romania, and the fact that my first visit as Prime Minister was here, to Brussels, shows the European dimension I want for the Government I am leading. I am sure that it will be a very good cooperation, I am sure that the President of the European Parliament will be involved in helping us in connection with the presidency of the Council of the EU, and I will come to speak before the European Parliament about the future of Europe of which Romania must be an active part, get involved in it, considering, as I said before, the presidency and the challenges. I am sure that a good cooperation as regards the presidency, a fair, transparent cooperation between the Bucharest Government, the European Parliament and the President of the European Parliament will bring added value when Romania holds the presidency of the EU Council. At the same time, I am sure that together we will make every effort to conclude a political agreement on the multiannual financial framework during the Romanian presidency. Thank you, once again, I thank the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Tajani, for his openness and for the very first points in fact in terms of good cooperation between the President of the Parliament and the Romanian Government.

Antonio Tajani: Thank you!