ForMin Aurescu: Day of Romanians Everywhere, time to reflect on importance of preserving national identity, values

Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on May 30, the Day of Romanians Everywhere, that this celebration is a time when we reflect on the importance of preserving the national identity and values that all Romanians carry in their hearts. "Beyond managing the implications of the pandemic crisis, the Day of Romanians Everywhere is a moment in which we reflect - each individually and at an institutional level - on the importance of preserving the national identity and values that all Romanians carry, at home and in the world, deep in their hearths. Strengthening dialogue and links with the members of the Romanian communities is a priority line of action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with promoting our historical and cultural heritage. Beyond the programmes and actions at an institutional level, Romanian citizens can contribute to this objective through the actions that they carry out every day where they live or conduct their business," Aurescu said on Sunday in a message celebrating the Day of Romanians Everywhere. The head of Romanian diplomacy shows that during the COVID 19 pandemic the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) continued to act to protect and respect the rights and interests of Romanian citizens around the world, both through special efforts in consular support and through political and conceptual approaches at bilateral and multilateral levels. "Our diplomatic and consular efforts have led to the safe repatriation, over the past year, of over 13,000 Romanian national in special situations. Also, the diplomatic missions and consular offices assisted with their transit approximately 11,000 Romanian citizens, and through consular co-operation with the other member states of the European Union, by activating the Civil Protection Mechanism of the Union, another 200 Romanian citizens returned to the country, while 250 European citizens and third-country nationals residing in the EU were repatriated with support from Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices," says the minister. At the same time, Aurescu mentioned that MAE came to the support of freight carriers, through steps with EU and member states involved, to establish transit lanes to Romania, made extensive efforts in support of cross-border and seasonal workers, responded to requests for support from Romanian citizens, including through the activation of a dedicated call center, which in the most intense period, March - October 2020 took more than 250,000 phone calls and over 100,000 requests received by e-mail. Aurescu added that the stock on last year includes many relevant moments that concretely reflect the efficiency of the close collaboration between MAE, through the diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania, and members of the Romanian communities abroad. "Among them, I would like to mention, for example, the good organisation of the elections to the Romanian Parliament in December 2020, when, through an extraordinary joint effort, through the involvement of the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the level of Romania's diplomatic and consular missions, with support from Romanian organisations and associations abroad, under the special conditions generated by the pandemic, 748 polling stations opened abroad, and the whole voting process took place under good circumstances that facilitated the exercise of the right to vote for approximately 266,000 Romanians abroad bot in person and by mail. I am confident that we will continue to collaborate as closely and efficiently in the future as well," said the minister. Aurescu added that the "Dialogue with the Diaspora on Consular Issues" programme has recently been resumed and it will be conducted in countries with sizeable Romanian communities. "The programme aims to facilitate dialogue between MAE and leaders of Romanian communities and associations abroad, the presentation of complete and correct information on the range of consular services that Romanian citizens can request through on the E-Consulat platform, as well as the identification of the best solutions in support of the Romanian communities, and for the professionalisation and efficiency of the consular activity. We have also drawn up, in consultation with the Romanian communities, an annual plan on itinerant (mobile) consulates, which includes over 100 such consular teams travelling to areas requested by Romanian citizens, and our efforts to reform consular services to make them more efficient and closer to the needs of citizens will continue, on several levels. I want to express my hope that together we will be able to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the Romanian communities abroad," reads the message of Aurescu. AGERPRES (RO - author: Livia Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)