Întrevederea premierului Marcel Ciolacu cu reprezentanții conducerii Comitetului pentru afaceri externe din Camera Reprezentanților Rep. Michael McCaul și Rep. Gregory Meeks, co-președinții Comitetului; Rep. Thomas Kean și Rep. William Keating, co-președinții Subcomitetului pentru Europa

PRESS RELEASE

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu: Romania counts on the U.S Congress support to join the Visa Waiver Program

Strengthening the Romania - U.S Strategic Partnership with focus on economy, energy and defense, and our country's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program were the main topics addressed during Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's meetings with members of the U.S. Congress.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu held discussions with Senators Ben Cardin and Jim Risch, Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, with Subcommittee on Europe Chair Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. and Ranking Member Rep. William Keating, and also with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who introduced a bill on the Black Sea Security and is a great supporter of Romania.
The Head of the Bucharest Executive thanked the American officials for their contribution to strengthening the U.S. Strategic Partnership with Romania, and the support the US Congress provided for NATO Eastern Flank's security, especially Romania's. Prime Minister voiced appreciation in this context for the U.S. officials' visits to Romania and the Black Sea region.
- The United States can fully count on Romania. We are the United States staunchest, most active, and closest ally and strategic partner in the Black Sea region. Romania will further remain a source of stability in the Black Sea region and contribute to the US-led coalition for the defense of the rules-based international order was Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's message to the dialogue partners.
At the same time, Prime Minister Ciolacu emphasized that the Romania - U.S. Partnership is stronger than ever and referenced its benefits for both Romanian and American citizens in the fields of security, energy and economy.
A topic of interest addressed during the discussions was Romania's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, a major goal for our country.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that Romania counts on the Congress' support in this regard. - The bill supporting Romania's admission to the Visa Waiver program was for us a positive signal and a call to accelerate the accession preparations. We want to achieve substantial progress in this dossier to meet the admission criteria next year added the Prime Minister.
Regarding NATO membership, Prime Minister Ciolacu emphasized that Romania is a reliable partner of the United States, our country hosting thousands of American and NATO soldiers in air and naval bases, as well as the Headquarters Multinational Division South - East that is NATOs regional command and control military body, a NATO Force Integration Unit, a fully operational multinational brigade. At the same time, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu voiced appreciation for President Bidens announcement, at the June NATO Summit in Madrid, that the United States would headquarter a rotational Brigade Combat Team in Romania.
Another topic covered was energy security. Romania and the USA have a common goal to ensure energy security for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Romania supports the Republic of Moldova to become energy independent.
At the same time, Prime Minister Ciolacu added that Romania designed a strategy for the Black Sea, to include freedom of navigation and the development of economies in the Black Sea region, through the consolidation of the area as a nodal and transit hub between Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
During the discussions, the dialogue partners showed the openness of the United States to finance a robust package of clean, safe and reliable nuclear power for Romania, at the Cernavodă plant and other small plants with modular reactors. The initiative will create thousands of jobs and position Romania as a leader in the transition to clean energy.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is on a working visit to the United States of America - to Washington D.C. and New York, together with a government delegation that includes the Defence Minister Angel Tilvăr, the Foreign Affairs Minister Luminița Odobescu, and the Economy Minister Radu Oprea.

Source: Gov