First Romanian-Polish intergovernmental meeting agrees on defence co-operation, holding business forum

The first Romanian-Polish intergovernmental meeting was held in Warsaw on Friday, reaching agreement on defence co-operation, intensified political dialogue at all levels in preparation of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as on holding a Romanian-Polish business forum.

The schedule of consultations included a restricted meeting of Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki. At the same time, ministers had bilateral talks, followed by a working lunch attended by the entire delegation. The event ended with a meeting of Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia Intotero with Romanian troops in Poland, as well as representatives of the local Romanian community.

The participants in the consultations agreed on measures in areas such as security and defence; European integration; foreign affairs; internal affairs; entrepreneurship and the economy; innovation; agriculture and tourism. The following were agreed: the conclusion, in the near future, of a bilateral defence co-operation agreement; intensifying political dialogue at all levels in preparation of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union; promoting the European prospects of the neighbouring states; holding a Romanian-Polish business forum, according to a press statement released by the Romanian government.

An intention to include in future consultations the fields of energy, transport and infrastructure, education and technological development was expressed.

Dancila launched an invitation to organise the second round of intergovernmental consultations in Romania next year to mark the anniversary of a decade of strategic partnership, three decades of democratic regime and a century of diplomatic relations.

The Romanian delegation in Warsaw was headed by Dancila, and made up of the following ministers: Deputy Prime Minister for the Implementation of Strategic Partnerships of Romania Ana Birchall; Interior Minister Carmen Dan; Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu; Defence Minister Mihai Fifor; Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Petre Daea; Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb; Minister of Culture and National Identity George Ivascu; Tourism Minister Bogdan Gheorghe Trif; Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia Intotero, and Ioana- Andreea Lambru, secretary general of the government of Romania. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)