#Romania2019.eu/ PM Dancila: Combating terrorism, among priorities on agenda of Romania's EU Council Presidency

Combating terrorism is one of the priorities of the agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Wednesday at the official ceremony dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day organized by the European Jewish Congress, under the patronage of the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani.

"We honor the memory of the victims who died in the tragic years of the last century, a black page in the history of Europe and the world. It is at the same time a date heavily charged with symbolism from the perspective of the international efforts to combat anti-Semitism and any forms of discrimination, racism, and xenophobia. Preventing the repetition of such a tragedy must remain a major concern of the entire international community and I say this not only from the national perspective of the government I run but also from the perspective of holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. We have set ourselves as goal the cohesion of common values, of the values that unite us, and promoting the efficient combat against racism, intolerance, xenophobia, populism, anti-Semitism and the discouragement of hate speech represents one of the central themes we will pursue in fostering the European Union's solidarity and cohesion," premier Dancila affirmed.

The prime minister emphasized that Romania has recently made important strides in commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and in promoting education on the Holocaust.

"Thus, between March 2016 and March 2017, Romania exercised the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and supported the adoption of the working definition of anti-Semitism. In June 2018, two years after the adoption of the definition, the Romanian Parliament adopted a special law on combating anti-Semitism, defining anti-Semitism, and criminalizing the distribution and promotion of anti-Semitic content, as well as the promotion of anti-Semitic ideas, concepts or doctrines," Dancila said.

The prime minister added that the Government of Romania has supported and supports the efforts to include in the educational programs the issue of the genocide of the Roma during the Second World War and to ensure decent social conditions for the last Roma survivors of the deportation in Transnistria.

"We can say that Romania, through an extensive process of history recovery, which has been finalized with the implementation of the Wiesel Commission's recommendations, has become a regional model in terms of assuming the past, condemning the denial of the Holocaust and of anti-Semitism, so that younger generations can discover the truth about this dramatic page of history," Prima Minister Dancila stressed.

The Romanian premier has shown that unfortunately, we are witnessing "a worrying increase in anti-Semitism at European and world level, and the recent attacks on places of worship and members of this community are a phenomenon against which we need to fight through immediate and effective action."

"The responsibility in this regard belongs with both the senior dignitaries, politicians, opinion leaders from the democratic states, and with the respective societies as a whole! We welcome the recent steps taken at European level by the unanimous adoption on 6 December 2018 by the EU Member States of a Declaration of the Council of the European Union on combating anti-Semitism and protecting the Jewish Communities in Europe. We support its implementation as well as the adoption, at national level, by as many states as possible, of the working definition of anti-Semitism," Dancila said.

The prime minister announced that on February 7, 2019, she will open, yet again in Brussels, an event of the Romanian Presidency, dedicated to policies and actions aimed at ensuring better protection for the Jewish communities at European level.

Still in March 2019, an event will be organized to help fight the denial of the Holocaust by bringing together in Bucharest representatives of the most relevant governmental museums in Europe and others as well in the field of Holocaust history.

"Only by education and commemoration can we fight against any attempt to deny the Holocaust, and against any attempt to incite anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and intolerance. Only together, in a Europe of common values, can we write a future for new generations, a future in which we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. We all believe that we should follow the example of a 'The righteous amongst peoples', Viorica Agarici, who by showing the highest degree of humanism and courage to the extreme, helped the Jewish survivors of the "Death Train" after the Iasi Pogrom. A distinguished representative of the Jewish community said about Viorica Agarici she "rehabilitated the human species," said Viorica Dancila. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Bogdan Gabaroi)