President of Slovakia in Bucharest

The President of Slovakia, Andrej Kiska, visited Romania

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Daniela Budu, 11.10.2016, 13:41

Romania and Slovakia are laudable members of the EU, with both countries reporting substantial economic growth, President Klaus Iohannis and his Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska agreed in Bucharest. The two heads of state discussed about the development of bilateral relations and the main issues of mutual interest. The good bilateral relations are based on historical and cultural similarities, President Iohannis highlighted.

The two leaders concluded that a strategic approach of the Eastern partnership is necessary, in particular of the Republic of Moldova, and they emphasised the need to further support the democratic process and reforms in that country, so as to help Chisinau get closer to its EU accession goal.

On the other hand, Andrej Kiska said the topic of migrant quotas was “a dead political theme, whereas his Romanian counterpart said the EU must search for common solutions, instead of solutions that divide its members. In December 2015, Slovakia filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice against the EU decision to distribute 120,000 asylum seekers among member states.

Klaus Iohannis and his Slovak counterpart also discussed the political and economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as the fight against corruption. The Slovak President appreciated Romanias efforts to curb corruption, and Klaus Iohannis voiced Bucharests willingness to help Slovakia build efficient institutions to counter corruption.

Klaus Iohannis: “For us, eliminating corruption is vital, because not only does it threaten the consolidation of democracy, but it also slows down economic growth and drives investors away. We believe we are on the right path, but we still have a long way to go.

In turn, Andrej Kiska emphasised that Romania and Slovakia are models for other European countries, particularly in terms of economic growth.

Andrej Kiska: “Romania proves that economic growth is also connected to the fight against corruption. And it is not out of civility that I mention Romania in this respect. I have mentioned this many times, both at home and here, that there is a lot that we can learn from Romania. Romania has its own ambitions to join the Schengen area and has our full support for this. We will do everything in our power to help.

The head of the Slovak state also had a meeting with PM Dacian Ciolos, with whom he talked about the development of rural areas, social inclusion policies and supporting professional mobility. The agenda of the Slovak officials visit also included meetings with representatives of the Slovak and Czech minority, a relevant example of integration in the Romanian society.