10-11 January: Official launch of Romanian EU Council Presidency

Official opening ceremony of the six-months Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union takes place on Thursday, 10 January 2019, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. College of Commissioners, headed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, will also be present.

On Thursday evening, starting with 8:00 p.m, there will be a dedicated Concert performed by the European Union Youth Orchestra, with members drawn from each of the EU’s 28 Member States, famous Romanian musicians such as Adela Zaharia, Ruxandra Donose, Michael König, Sorin Coliban and the „George Enescu” Philharmonic Choir. Conductor of the concert will be Ion Marin, while the choir is coordinated by Ion Iosif Prunner.

On 11th of January, there will be joint press statements/joint press conference made by President of Romania, Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă.

RRA Reporter Carmen Gavrilă: "European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has scheduled meetings with President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă.

Motto of Romania’s EU Council Presidency is „Cohesion, a common European value”, because, as Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă said, this principle is fundamental to the evolution of the European project.

Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has as a priority in the first three months of its mandate to finalize the legislative files that depend on the cooperation with the European Parliament, Romanian Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, announced at Radio Romania News Channel.

He said that Romania now has to manage a possible Brexit without agreement with the European Union.

George Ciamba: "Our Presidency will play a very important role in promoting legislation, which, of course, will have to be done in a fairly short timeframe".

Minister-Delegate for EU Affairs George Ciamba also said that the second part of the Romanian EU Presidency will be dedicated to the 9 May 2019 EU Summit in Sibiu for the Future of Europe, first after Brexit.

Source:RRA,Romania2019.eu.Translated by Miruna Matei