Iohannis: We want relevant strategic partnership with Japan

President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that Romania wants a "relevant strategic partnership" with Japan and expressed the hope that this objective will be achieved in 2021. 

"We want a relevant strategic partnership with Japan to strengthen the results of the historic visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Bucharest in 2018, and we hope that this objective will materialize in the coming year, on the anniversary of the the political-diplomatic relations centennial," Iohannis told the annual meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Romania. 

The head of state also underlined that Romania will pay special attention to the further development of the strategic or special partnerships and relations with Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey or Israel, along with those with all the direct neighbours of Romania. 

He indicated that Romania wants to modernize the strategic partnership with the United Kingdom. 

"The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union will take place shortly. This is a moment that we did not want, but we will act so that the friendship and alliance that has linked us so far remains strong between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Equally, we are looking to modernize the strategic partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom, which we are currently working on," said Iohannis. 

The head of state indicated that the major directions of action, drawn up in the past years, remain valid also with regard to the Western Balkans or the other Eastern Partnership states. 

"More broadly, our foreign policy priorities are aimed at strengthening relations, including economic ones, with other states and areas of interest in the world, including Japan, South Korea, China, India, and Asian states, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean," said Iohannis.