The Diplomat
Madrid and Bucharest Governments have committed to hold next June, in Spanish territory, the first Spain-Romania Bilateral Summit, during which the Strategic Partnership between the two countries will be launched.
“This year we celebrate 140 years of relations, so it is particularly appropriate that we meet at the highest level, the two governments, in a summit that will take place in June”, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, during the joint press conference with her Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, on the occasion of her official visit to Bucharest.
The main objective of this summit, she continued, is to set in motion “a Strategic Partnership” that will enable the strengthening of relations in the areas of “economy, trade and investment”. More than 300 Spanish companies operate in Romania, but “we know that we can do more”, added the minister, who also met yesterday with representatives of Spanish companies at the Spanish Embassy Residence in Bucharest.
For his part, Aurescu declared that the two ministers had reached an agreement for the first bilateral meeting to be held “most probably at the beginning of this summer, pandemic permitting”. “Romania is interested in diversifying and intensifying economic and sectoral relations with Spain and the bilateral meeting will be a good opportunity to promote new economic opportunities”, he added. The bilateral summit will be accompanied, later this year, by a joint business forum to “identify concrete projects” and to develop economic cooperation in “the sectors of information and communication technologies and the digital economy“, Aurescu said.
During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed the situation of the one million Romanian citizens residing in Spain, whom González Laya praised for their “contribution” to Spanish economic and social life. For his part, Bogdan Aurescu thanked the Spanish authorities for “the constant support given to Romanian citizens” and reiterated his desire to move towards the adoption of a dual nationality law between the two countries, “a desire that the Romanian community constantly transmits to us”. “We understand the legal and constitutional considerations of the Spanish side, but we hope to be able to find solutions”, he added.
González Laya was also received yesterday by the country’s president, Klaus Ioannis; the prime minister, Florin Citu; and the ministers of Energy, Virgil Popescu; and Transport, Catalin Drula. The Minister’s stay in Romania concluded with a visit to the headquarters of the Instituto Cervantes in Bucharest, inaugurated in 1995, where she was accompanied by the director of the institution, Luis García Montero.
González Laya will pay an official visit to Poland today, where she will meet with her Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau, and hold a meeting with Spanish businessmen. In Warsaw, the Minister will discuss the preparation of the next bilateral summit, which will take place four years after the last such meeting between the two countries and will also be held in Spain.
