#Romania2019.eu/Iohannis:We are well-prepared for difficult, but interesting period that we start

UPDATED 13:08

Bucharest, Jan 11 /Agerpres/ - President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Friday, that the Presidency at the Council of the EU represents a particularly important moment which will remain in Romania's history, showing that our country is well-prepared for this mandate.

"We are assisting to a moment of particular importance which will remain in Romania's history - the inauguration of the first Presidency of the Council of the EU. (...) I've discussed, during strategic debates at the European Council, the European matters many times and I believe that we are well-prepared for the difficult, but interesting period that we believe will include results and which is starting now," said the head of state, at the Cotroceni Palace, in the joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

He mentioned that the discussions focused on important dossiers on the European agenda, but also general approaches which are extremely important in the coming period.

"We discussed today about Brexit, the multi-annual budget, migration, European security and how we will build a realistic optimist agenda, credible for the coming period," Iohannis mentioned.

According to the head of state, the European Commission is a vital and important partner with which Romania has very good dialogue.

"We share the objective of a strong Europe, more united, more efficient and we are speaking here both on the internal level, inside the Union, as well as the external level. This will be the objective towards which our efforts will be oriented during the next six months," said Iohannis.

In what regards Brexit, he showed that he desires an orderly retreat of the United Kingdom from the EU, and that efforts will be focused on facilitating the adoption of measures proposed by the European Commission, in order to ensure the EU is prepared adequately for Brexit in all scenarios.

He emphasized that the summit in Sibiu on May 9 will constitute a landmark for Romania's Presidency of the Council of the EU, but also for the European Union as a whole, given its role in preparing the future priorities and strategic approaches for the period after the European Parliament elections.

"We discussed these matters, I agreed that the orientations that are to be drawn up on the occasion regarding the future of the European project must have a consensual basis and must respond to the expectations of European citizens," said Iohannis.

He showed that he is very committed in what regards the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

"I know everyone here is very committed and determined to make a good... a very good show, to obtain what we propose, the finalization of many dossiers currently worked upon, the elaboration of a viable, credible strategy for the future of the EU," Klaus Iohannis said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Adina Panaitescu)