Catherine Lalumiere:Romanians "are intelligent, have will and ambition"

Challenges Romania faces during its first EU Council Presidency have been debated on Thursday night at The House of Europe in Paris. Debate was hosted by Catherine Lalumiere, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) in 1993, when Romania became the 32nd CoE Member State (7 October 1993), and Romanian Ambassador to France, Luca Niculescu.

In a statement for Radio Romania, Catherine Lalumiere said she was optimistic about Romania’s EU Presidency.

Catherine Lalumiere: "I have been observing Romania for many years. Romania had many obstacles to overcome, especially the heritage left by Ceaușescu. But Romanians are intelligent, have will and ambition. I am optimistic. Romanian people have already won enough battles. This EU Presidency is a challenge, it will be difficult, the period we are crossing is cloudy and complex. But I am sure Romania will perform a very successful EU Presidency, it is perfectly capable of this. I have often seen how Romania struggled with difficulties and passed over obstacles. This time too I'm sure things will happen very well".

Romanian Ambassador to Paris, Luca Niculescu, presented the priorities of Romania’s EU Presidency and assured the participants, who have asked dozens of questions, that the Romanians are very attached to the European construction, recognized as a huge opportunity for them and for the country. In all these six months of Romania’s EU Presidency, the relationship between Romania and France will be strengthened within the European Union.

Luca Niculescu: "We have the chance that this first Romanian EU Presidency takes place in the same time with the France-Romania Cultural Season, so there are already many events that talk about our bilateral relationship. Romania’s EU Presidency is also an opportunity to talk about the role of Romania, as we did here, at Maison de l'Europe. There will be many such occasions where we will talk, explain what Romania means, what our EU Presidency means, what are our priorities, what is the European action of Romania, what is Europe for Romania, but at the same time what Romania means for Europe. For six months from now, we will also include such communication exercises, aside of what we do each day".

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei