Minister-delegate Ciamba meets Portugal's StateSec Zacarias; discussions focused on EU developments in relation to current agenda

Minister-delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba met on Wednesday with Secretary of State for European Affairs with Portugal's Foreign Affairs Ministry Ana Paula Zacarias. The discussions of the two officials focused on the working programme of Romania's Presidency at the EU Council and the ongoing developments at European level in relation with the current agenda. 

According to a Foreign Affairs Ministry's (MAE) release, the topics tackled included the future of the European Union, the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the enlargement policy, the Economic and Monetary Union, the latest developments in the sphere of international trade relations, as well as the development of talks regarding the UK's withdrawal for the EU. 

In this context, the Romanian dignitary reiterated the importance of shaping the Strategic Agenda of the EU for the next five years and conveying a message of unity at European level, as a foundation for the future efforts to meet the Union's strategic objectives. 

In respect to the 2021-2027 MFF, Minister-delegate Ciamba presented the approach and efforts of Romania's Presidency at the EU Council in the negotiation process on this file. The negotiations aim to facilitate dialogue in view of advancing the discussions at the European Council in June and obtaining an agreement in the autumn of 2019. 

In regards to the Economic and Monetary Union, Ciamba highlighted the necessity of an inclusive approach of the strengthening process of the Economic and Monetary Union, likely to favour a higher degree of convergence at European level. 

The talks revealed the similarity of Romania's and Portugal's standpoints over some priority topics included on the EU agenda, such as the protection of the European citizens' rights in the context of the UK's withdrawal for the EU, as well as granting the observance of commercial multilaterism based on rules, taking into account the increase of the existing tensions at global level. 

Minister-delegate George Ciamba underscored the attention paid by the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council to the enlargement policy and the cooperation with the Western Balkan states. In this regard, he voiced support for the fulfillment of the objective assumed by the member states, that of launching accession negotiations with Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia in June, according to the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018. 

In respect to the bilateral relation, the two officials evoked their excellent stage. The Romanian dignitary underscored the importance of strengthening and consolidating the high-level bilateral dialogue between the two countries, both on aspects of the European agenda and in relation to the international agenda, the MAE release informs.