Speaker Dragnea: Must build special relation between Romania and France, partnership on key sectors

Romania must build a special relation with France, a partnership on key sectors - military, economic, social and cultural, one that will provide the guarantee of a correct and honest collaboration and cooperation, based on mutual respect, Deputies Chamber Speaker Liviu Dragnea stated in the context of the meeting with French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, reads a press release sent by the Deputies' Chamber to AGERPRES.

According to the source, Dragnea welcomed on Thursday Jean-Yves Le Drian, the meeting providing the opportunity to review the main moments the two parties are celebrating this year - the anniversary of a decade from the signing of the Strategic Partnership Declaration, the launching of the Romania-France Season, as well as the Centennial of the Great Union, an event to which France had a significant contribution.

"My approach, as Speaker of the Deputies Chamber and leader of the governing party, is very clear - we must build a special relation between Romania and France, a partnership on key sectors - military, economic, social and cultural, one that will provide the guarantee of a correct and honest collaboration and cooperation, based on mutual respect. I have conveyed to Mr. Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian a firm message regarding the need to revise the Strategic Partnership's roadmap, whose content should become more concrete and applicable," Dragnea affirmed.

During the meeting, Romania's role "as a beacon state of Francophony in Central and Eastern Europe" was emphasized, and the need for new consistent projects intended first and foremost to successfully address the young generation and to consolidate the linguistic partnership was identified.

Special attention was granted to economic relations, the release further mentions, underscoring both parties' commitment in pursuing the positive trend and the desire to diversify the domains of cooperation, including through the transfer of know-how from the French institutions on the matter of attracting structural funds.

Another topic of the meeting was the one of Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, the Deputies Chamber Speaker using this opportunity to reiterate the importance our country gives this objective, especially under the current circumstances, in which Romania has proved, through a pro-active European approach, that it has the will and capacity to ensure the protection of the EU's external borders at the highest standards, thus representing a true provider of security at European level.

In that regard, Dragnea hailed the French vision of reforming the Schegen Area, mentioning however, that Romania's accession becoming a moving target must be avoided, the release further informs.