#DiplomaticCentennial/Lilian Zamfiroiu: Romania's taking over EU presidency, both unprecedented challenge, matching opportunity

The relations between Romania and Luxembourg are unfolding in a privileged framework of dialogue at both bilateral and European level, marked by the moment in 2007 when Luxembourg and Sibiu became European Capitals of Culture, which gave a new boost to the bilateral relationship and created a substantial bond not only between the two cities but also between the two countries, Romania's Ambassador to the Grand Duchy Lilian Zamfiroiu said in an interview with AGERPRES.

Referring to the Romanian community in Luxembourg, which has grown in recent years and ranks 10th among the communities coming from the European Union states, the Romanian ambassador stated that it is very well integrated and is characterized by dynamism, involvement and spirit of cooperation.

As regards the economic cooperation between the two countries, Luxembourg invests in Romania (in May 2018 it ranked 9th among foreign investors) but has not yet reached its maximum investment capacity, says Lilian Zamfiroiu, mentioning IT, communications, cyber-security, banking, tourism and even space cooperation among the sectors with growth opportunities.

Romania's taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union will represent both an unprecedented challenge and also a matching opportunity, the Romanian ambassador thinks, and Luxembourg is fully willing to support the smooth running of this approach. The context will be a special one, marked by challenges such as Brexit, the new multiannual financial framework or the European elections of May 2019, and the ambition of the Romanian Presidency is to act as a facilitator of consensus and to get the maximum possible results, the Romanian diplomat explains.

In the context of the celebration of the Greater Union Centennial, the Embassy of Romania in Luxembourg organized in March a conference titled "Bessarabia in the Act of the Greater Union: Reflections 100 Years on" and is also preparing, together with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Brussels, a special moment on the occasion of the National Day. The Ambassador stressed that the project of a united Europe, in solidarity, to whose construction diplomacy has a central role, is as important and visionary as the making of the Romanian Unitary National State.

The e-mail interview is part of the editorial project #DiplomaticCentennial conducted by AGERPRES throughout the year, with an emphasis on diplomatic relations in the context of the 100th anniversary of the Greater Union.

AGERPRES: There is a cultural bridge between Romania and the Grand Duchy, created more than ten years ago, when Sibiu and Luxembourg were designated European Capitals of Culture. What did this project - unanimously deemed successful - mean for the cultural collaboration between the two cities and how did the cooperation continue after 2007?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: Today, after 11 years, we can say without any reserve that the moment "Luxembourg and Sibiu, European Capitals of Culture" in 2007 represented the foundation of a solid development of the bilateral relationship not only on the cultural level but also in other areas, with a major impact including on the political dialogue. This moment has given new impetus to the bilateral relationship, which we continue to build today. A substantial bond was created not only between the two cities that assumed this title, but also between the two countries.

By associating Sibiu in this major European project, an extraordinary opportunity to promote the values of the Romanian culture and spirituality was created at regional and European level. The role and support of Luxembourg were decisive, and at that time, a first was achieved: for the first time, a city in a country that was not a member of the European Union at the time of the decision, was granted the title "European Capital of Culture".

The positive effects of this association are palpable and visible in the city of Sibiu, which has benefited from unprecedented cultural effervescence and has brought, in turn, unquestionable economic and tourist benefits. The Sibiu logo as "European Capital of Culture" and "City of Culture - City of Cultures" respectively, explains and shows very well the reason behind the partnership between Luxembourg and Sibiu: both cities of multicultural and linguistic diversity, looking for a future built on this special feature.

The development of cultural ties also continued after 2007. I quote the example of the uninterrupted and wonderful cooperation between the Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu (TNRS) and the theatre in the Luxembourg city of Esch-sur-Alzette, a collaboration that debuted in 2007, when the cities of Sibiu and Luxembourg were associated in the "European Capitals of Culture" project.

The directors of the two theatres, namely Charles Muller, the director (now former director) of the Esch sur Alzette Theatre, and Constantin Chiriac, director of the TNRS, were decorated by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, for outstanding merits in bilateral cultural cooperation, on the occasion of the official visit by the latter to Sibiu on June 17 and 18, 2017. The show "Metamorphoses," directed by Silviu Purcarete, based on Ancient poet Ovidius' work, staged in Luxembourg on July 7 and 8, 2017, marked the anniversary of a decade of fruitful and uninterrupted collaboration between the two cultural institutions. It was staged for first time in the yard of the Neumunster Abbey Cultural Center in Luxembourg in July 2007, the place of the signing of the Accession Treaty of Romania to the European Union in April 2005, under the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU Council. As of the same year, the show entered the repertoire of TNRS, which played it every year between 2007 and 2017, becoming a symbol of the partnership between Sibiu and Luxembourg. This partnership, along with the anniversary of a decade since Romania's accession to the European Union, was celebrated in Luxembourg through an extraordinary piano concert by Maestro Dan Grigore, held on October 20, 2017 at the Auditorium of the Luxembourg Conservatoire.

Therefore, there is at present a vivid cultural cooperation between Luxembourg and Romania, especially through Sibiu, a cooperation that has its incontestable source in the year 2007.

AGERPRES: President Iohannis appreciated in 2016 that "the relations between Romania and Luxembourg are excellent."How do the two countries collaborate on the important topics on the European and international agenda, especially in view of Romania taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: Indeed, the relations between Romania and Luxembourg are unfolding in a privileged framework, both on a bilateral level, as well as a European one. The point of maximum visibility was represented by the state visit carried out to the Great Duchy by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, 6 through 7 June 2016, on which occasion the main benchmarks of the future bilateral relations were agreed upon. From that time to the present, there has been a steady rising tendency of the high level bilateral dialogue, tendency that Romania wishes to maintain and to develop in the future.

Among the most relevant contacts were the visit the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Luxembourg, Etienne Schneider, paid in Bucharest, 21 and 22 November 2016; the visit of Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, in Bucharest and Sibiu, 16 to 18 June 2017 and the participation of the Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, in the August 2017 edition of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on which occasion the head of the Luxembourg diplomacy presented his vision on the future of Europe.

Romania's taking over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the first semester of 2019 - a first for our country - will present both an unprecedented challenge, as well as a matching opportunity. Preparations for the presidency started a long time ago and included consultations with other member states of the Union, among which, of course, Luxembourg. Dialogue on this topic with representatives of the Great Duchy kicked off on 17 October 2016, when a round of consultations was organized, at the level of Secretaries of State of the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It was no accident that discussions with Luxembourg started so early. Being a founding state of the EU and holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU 12 times, it has unquestionable expertise with regard to the management of such an important mandate. The round of consultations included both aspects of substance and on the agenda of the presidency, as well as aspects related to protocol, logistics, administration and organisation.

In other words, Luxembourg fully supports a smooth running of the Romanian presidency. Discussions commenced in 2016 continued in the following period as well, especially within the General Affairs Council;s framework, at the level of the two ministers responsible for European affairs policy.

AGERPRES: Within Romania's mandate of the presidency of the council of the EU, an informal summit will take place on 9 May 2019 in Sibiu, organized at the proposal of the President of European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. What are the expectations of this meeting for re-launching the European Union after Brexit?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: Firstly, I would like to remark that the choice of Sibiu for hosting the informal summit of May 2019 is a gesture with a specific symbolism, both for our country's relations with the Union, as well as for the bilateral relation with Luxembourg. If concerning the first aspect we have already shown that the "city on the Cibin shore" - as it is called - is perceived in Europe as a space with a wide openness, proven already, towards multiculturalism and integration (by the way: the International Theater Festival in this city, which takes place in June, every year, ranks second or third in the world, among such events), let us not forget that the decision of inviting Sibiu to associate itself with Luxembourg within the "European Cultural Capital" project of 2017 was taken during the mandate of Mr. Juncker, as Prime Minister of the Great Duchy, and also, let us not forget about the special relationship that exists between the Saxon community around Sibiu and Luxembourgers, proven through the similarities between the idiom spoken by the first with the Luxembourg language (some specialists estimate that over 85 percent of words and used expressions are identical). On the other hand, the context in which the Romanian presidency of the EU Council will occur will be a special one, marked by major challenges: Brexit, the new multiannual financial framework, the European elections of May 2019. The Romanian Presidency's ambition is to act as a facilitator of consensus and to obtain the best of possible outcomes in this difficult context, translated in immediate and concrete benefits for European citizens.

Romania will surely have the opportunity to demonstrate in the course of its presidency an active participation in discussions concerning the future of the EU and the Sibiu Summit, due on 9 May 2019, is a very good opportunity in this sense.

AGERPRES: The Great Duchy of Luxembourg is among the top foreign investors in Romania, ranking 9th, according to the most recent statistics. What attracts Luxembourg businessmen in our country? Have you identified, since taking over the mandate, growth opportunities in this sector?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: I must confess that the Luxembourg investment sector in Romania concerns me "day and night" - I could say - because it is the sector with the highest potential which has not been sufficiently exploited in the relation between the two states. Opportunities exist at every corner, Luxembourgers being, as I have said earlier, extremely pragmatic. Maybe the former status of financial paradise (I say "former" because currently, even if they do have some facilities, they aligned themselves to European standards in that area), granted, over time, a special taste for business, especially in the services sector.

At the end of May 2018, Luxembourg ranked, as a matter of fact, 9th in the top foreign investors in Romania, with almost 1.5 billion euro invested, representing roughly 3.27 percent of the total foreign investments in our country. These figures tell us that Luxembourg invests in Romania, but has yet to reach the maximum investment capacity it has. The Luxembourg investment potential is considerable, and attracting more Luxembourg investments in Romania has constantly been on the bilateral agenda, including with Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Better, who had, during his June 2017 visit to Romania, an applied discussion with the Romanian Minister of Communications and Information Society - alongside representatives of top companies in the field - concerning the ways in which Luxembourg could invest in the Romanian IT sector. Also during Luxembourg Prime Minister's visit to Romania, this time in Sibiu, a seminar took place intended to promote this city as a tourist destination and business for Luxembourg partners.

Romania and Luxembourg have a significant economic cooperation potential and of course, certain sectors carry major growth opportunities: I am referring to ICT, communications, cyber-security, the banking sector, start-ups, innovation, tourism and, why not, spatial cooperation. Perhaps a less known fact is that Luxembourg has embarked on the exploration of the future exploitation for commercial purposes of mineral resources of near-Earth objects (asteroids). Beyond the uniqueness and trailblazing character of this initiative, I think there is room here for creating synergy with the Magurele-based ELI-NP high-power laser project.

There are also impressive local development opportunities, which is why the Embassy of Romania in Luxembourg has already arranged a visit by the local authorities of Luxembourg's second largest city Esch-sur-Alzette to Ramnicu Valcea, with a view to kicking off economic cooperation and maybe also for twinning the two cities. We, at the Embassy, are currently working to set into practice other partnerships with economic impact at local level.

AGERPRES: There has been talk about organizing a Luxembourg economic mission to Romania in 2018. What is the stage of this project?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: The Luxembourg economic mission to Romania stays the priority goal on our bilateral economic cooperation agenda. It was agreed upon on the occasion of the 2016 state visit of the President of Romania to Luxembourg, and related organizational aspects have been discussed on the occasion of each political contact on the bilateral agenda. For the current year we decided, together with the partners in Luxembourg, to organize two economic seminars that should precede the organization of the Luxembourg economic mission; the two events are intended to bring to the attention of the two business environments the existing cooperation opportunities that are still not enough capitalized upon. A first seminar has already taken place in Luxembourg in January this year. A second will follow in Bucharest, slated after the October 2018 legislative elections in the Grand Duchy. There is a growing interest in Luxembourg in the Romanian business milieu and I was able to check the truth of this conclusion also on the occasion of the organization, at the beginning of this year, of the "Why Romania?" seminar I was talking to you about earlier.

"Why Romania?" was a seminar for Romania's economic promotion which our Embassy has organized in partnership with the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and which had over 80 business people from the Grand Duchy attending, all interested in developments in Romania's economic climate. The purpose of our action has been to promote business opportunities in Romania and offer Luxembourg business people arguments for deciding to invest in Romania. The official delegation that included members of Romania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of the Romania - Luxembourg Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and of the Ministry for Business Milieu, Trade and Entrepreneurship was joined by Romanian business people from various activity sectors such as IT, real estate, mining, industrial equipment, financial services etc. The seminar was accompanied by official bilateral meetings where perspectives to add impetus and substance to bilateral cooperation have been approached, also through the common decision to extend the existing Cooperation Protocol of the two national Chambers of Commerce.

AGERPRES: A bilateral program was signed on the occasion of President Klaus Iohannis's 2016 visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in the sectors of science and technology, education, culture and sport spanning the period 2016 - 2021. Which are the joint projects carried out under this agreement?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: The agreement between Romania and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on cooperation in the fields of science and technology, education, culture and sport was signed in Bucharest on April 25, 1994. Therefore, on the sidelines of the state visit of President Klaus Iohannis to Luxembourg, the 2016 - 2021 Exchange Program in the aforementioned fields was signed. The implementation of this program is in full swing and includes annual master's scholarships awarded by the University of Luxembourg to Romanian students, artists' scholarships granted by the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture and student exchanges - and here I would like to mention the October 2017 student exchange between the Dommeldange School of Arts and Crafts - which also hosts the courses of the Romanian Weekend School in Luxembourg - and the "Alexandru cel Bun" High School in Gura Humorului. We now envisage another student exchange that should run through 2018. Last but not least, I would mention the dialogue that takes place at the local level in the light of the cities of Timisoara and Luxembourg's Esch-sur-Alzette successively holding the title of European Capital of Culture in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

AGERPRES: On the occasion of the same visit, President Klaus Iohannis said he wants the partnership between the University of Luxembourg and Romanian academic institutions to strengthen. Has there been progress in this respect?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: The University of Luxembourg has lately emerged as an important center, not only as far as academic studies are concerned, but also in research. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of my first visits after taking over as ambassador has been to this university, where Romanian professors and researchers are also working. The purpose of my visit was to discuss the perspectives of cooperation between the University of Luxembourg and several Romanian universities under the Erasmus European program (so far, such cooperation has been set into practice with the National School of Political and Administrative Studies - S.N.S.P.A. Bucharest). I had the opportunity to discover a special interest of the Luxembourg University in initiating cooperation with French-language training pathways, with emphasis on the Romanian faculties of medicine. To this end, we set at the disposal of the Rector of the University of Luxembourg a list with the Francophone training lines, and we will further put in the necessary efforts to bring about cooperation to the benefit of Romanian students and universities.

AGERPRES: Foreign residents account for 45 percent of the population of the Duchy, and Romanians represent a strong foreign community in Luxembourg. What is the structure of Romanian diaspora and what are the challenges of living in the Grand Duchy, the EU member state with the highest GDP per capita, but also with high costs of living?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: The last years have undoubtedly seen an increase in the number of Romanians who reside in Luxembourg (from 1,589 as of February 1, 2011 to 4,662 as of January 1, 2018, according to data released by the Luxembourg National Institute of Statistics - placing us 10th among the communities hailing from EU member states). In the capital city, the Romanians are the 9th strongest community of the 164 present nationalities, with 1,983 citizens (1.7 percent of the total number of foreigners). The capital is particularly cosmopolitan, as foreigners account for 71 percent of the population. However, I would like to point out a characteristic aspect of Luxembourg, namely that to the Romanian community that resides in the Grand Duchy adds a significant number of Romanians who live in the neighboring areas (the so-called Greater Region) in France - Lorraine, Germany - Saar and Rhineland-Palatinate and Belgium - Province of Luxembourg. Although they reside in the neighboring countries, these Romanians work in Luxembourg and actively participate in the life of the Romanian community here. The Romanian community in Luxembourg is well, even very well integrated. As far as the social - professional categories are concerned, most Romanian residents in the Greater Region work as specialists in various European institutions based in Luxembourg, as well as in fields such as banking, arts, medicine, IT and education. There are also a number of Romanians working in HoReCa or in construction.

We are also talking about a rich and well-structured associative environment. There are eight associations of Romanians, specializing in several fields, we also have a Romanian Orthodox parish established as early as 1995, and recently, with the support of the Embassy, the courses of the Romanian Weekend School in Luxembourg have been inaugurated in September 2017. The Romanian School offers Romanian children both Romanian language courses taught by qualified teachers certified by the Romanian Ministry of National Education, with focus on the country's language, history and geography, as well as social connectivity workshops on various themes (applied art workshops, Romanian customs and traditions through creative handicrafts, traditional dances, theatrical expression and acting, introductory IT courses, children's theater, improvisation games and show art).

And finally, I cannot fail to notice the dynamism, involvement and the spirit of special cooperation characteristic of the Romanian community in Luxembourg. The Embassy maintains a constant and effective communication with community members, either through association presidents or through its own media channels, specifically the institution's website and Facebook page, but also through several other instruments.

AGERPRES: CinEast, a film festival dedicated to the Central and Eastern European movie industry taking place every year in Luxembourg, is an event where the public can also watch recent Romanian movies. What is the reception Romanian movies get from the Luxembourg public?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: Naturally, the Film Festival in Central and Eastern Europe in Luxembourg, "CinEast" is another cultural event with bilateral impact. This festival has reached its 10th edition in 2017, as a manifestation on the rise, with a significant impact on the Luxembourg public and backed by relevant cultural partners in the Grand Duchy.

During the 2017 edition, Romania was represented by actor Adrian Titieni, as a member of the jury and as a special guest, too. The evening of 22 October was dedicated to the Romanian actor under the title "Titieni Evening". Moreover the movie Soldiers. Ferentari Story / Soldatii. Poveste din Ferentari (a Romanian-Serbian-Belgian production, directed by Ivana Mladenovic) has grabbed the jury's special award of the festival.

I'd add that the Romanian Embassy too promotes the Romanian film in Luxembourg, by organizing film screenings on various occasions, such as on the celebration of the International Day of La Francophonie when it has become a tradition to screen French subtitled Romanian movies.

AGERPRES: At the end of this discussion, we'd like you to talk about the conference on Bessarabia and the Greater Union that the Embassy hosted this March. What other events are there foreseen to mark the Centennial Year?

Lilian Zamfiroiu: Indeed, on 27 March 2018 the Embassy of Romania hosted, in the context of the Union's Centennial, the conference titled "Bessarabia in the Act of the Greater Union: Reflections, 100 years on". The conference was delivered by Dr. Octavian Ticu, researcher and coordinator of the History Institute with the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and associate professor of the Faculty of History and Philosophy with the State University of the Republic of Moldova. Dr. Ticu offered the participants a novel perspective on the events that had led to the voting of the union with Romania by the Council of the Country of Bessarabia, on 27 March 1918, a perspective grounded on archive documents until recently inaccessible to the researchers.

This was the first event of a series of such manifestations organized by Romania's Embassy in Luxembourg and dedicated to the Greater Union's Centennial.

They were seconded by several events that have brought in the foreground cherished Romanian traditions, namely a Sewing Workshop dedicated to the Romanian blouse, ia, and several other workshops about how the Easter eggs should be dyed that have been opened to both the Romanian community's members and to the members of the diplomatic corps and to Luxembourg officials.

A momentum to mark the Greater Union's Centennial will be represented on the National Day, on 1 December. We are already working on a comprehensive project, alongside the Romanian Cultural Institute in Brussels whose mandate covers Luxembourg as well, the Romanian associations in Luxembourg and other Romanians who wish to be part of this beautiful project.

And I'm glad that you've chosen the final part of the interview to ask me about the Greater Union's Centennial, because I wish we conclude in the spirit of this special celebration for Romania and the Romanians! If 100 years ago the Romanian National Unitary State's project was being completed, now it is our duty to finalise another project, at least as important and visionary, the project of a united Europe, in solidarity, that we should leave as legacy in peace and prosperity to our children! This year is the year of Romania's Centennial - and yet we have the responsibility to make sure that the next generations will enjoy the Centennial of ''Europe". And diplomacy will play a central role, because we can only build ''Europe" through dialogue!AGERPRES(RO - author: Simona Tatu, editor: Gabriela Ionescu; EN - authors: Bogdan Gabaroi, Catalin Cristian Trandafir, Simona Klodnischi, Maria Voican; editor: Simona Iacob)