President Iohannis will receive the "Franz Josef Strauss 2018" Award

President Klaus Iohannis will pay a visit to Munich, Germany, on Friday and Saturday, on the occasion of the "Franz Josef Strauss 2018" awarding ceremony by the prestigious German Foundation "Hanns Seidel", Romanian Presidential Administration announced in a press release.

Awarding ceremony will take place on Saturday at the Royal Palace in Munich - "Allerheiligen-Hofkirche".

According to the source, the "Hanns Seidel" Foundation and the leadership of the Christian-Social Union of Germany unanimously decided to award the "Franz Josef Strauss" prize to President Klaus Iohannis in 2018 for the constructive and visionary promotion, throughout his political career, of the democratic values, of a united society and of trust in the European project.

"Franz Josef Strauss" Award is also accompanied by a prize worth 10,000 euros, which President Iohannis has decided to donate to the Romanian Foundation "One Child, one Hope", which carries out projects in areas such as health, education and social assistance, including programs to support children diagnosed with autism and Down Syndrome. In 2018, "One Child, one Hope" Foundation received the "Institution of the Year" Award for the 20th Anniversary of the National Gala of Excellence in Social Assistance for the benefit of vulnerable children and their families.

At the ceremony to be held in Munich, the Laudatio speech will be delivered by Bavarian Parliament Speaker Barbara Stamm. Chairman of the "Hanns Seidel" Foundation, Ursula Mannle, and Bavaria's state premier, Markus Söder, will also deliver speeches.

"Franz Josef Strauss" has been awarded, since 1996, to personalities that have been noted in politics, business, society and culture, promoting peace, freedom, respect for the law, and democracy. Among the laureates there are former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, former US President George H. W. Bush, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and former US Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.

On the occasion of his visit to Munich, President Iohannis will too award, on Friday, the "Star of Romania" National Order as Commander to the President of theBavarian Parliament, Barbara Stamm. Ceremony will take place at the headquarters of the General Consulate of Romania in Munich, and this high distinction will be given to the German official as a sign of recognition and appreciation for her political work, for her special contribution to the development of the Romanian-German relations and for the social projects developed in Romania.

Barbara Stamm is the first woman President in the history of the Bavarian Parliament. Throughout her political career, started in 1969 as a member of the Christian Social Union, she was distinguished as a constant partner of Romania, including in her quality of the Bavarian Government's Commissioner for Relations with Romania, as well as in her quality of the President of the Romania-Bavaria Foundation for Social Assistance.

In 1991, she founded the "Bayerische Kinderhilfe Rumanien e.V" Association, through which she developed a constructive dialogue with the Romanian authorities on the social assistance field. Association has carried out numerous humanitarian actions and projects in counties such as Bihor, Botoşani, Iaşi, Ilfov, Neamţ, Timiş and Tulcea, in support of children, young people and women in vulnerable situations.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei