Today's Date:

Visit to Romania – Interview given by M. Michel Barnier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Romanian public television channel “TVR” (excerpts)

Bucharest, February 25, 2005

Q. – Welcome to Romania. It’s been more than six years since a French foreign minister came to Romania. (...) Is this actually a good sign indicating that everything is going well, or a bad sign? What’s the state of Franco-Romanian relations?

THE MINISTER – I think relations between our two countries are very good. We have a common history, often a shared language, a great deal of cooperation and genuine solidarity stretching back a long way. We mustn’t now keep looking back on that time with nostalgia but look to the future and, while remembering the past, look ahead of us. It’s a pity that a French foreign minister hasn’t been here for several years. I myself visited Romania several times as France’s Minister Delegate for European Affairs ten or so years ago, and also as European Commissioner, particularly to help with Romania’s preparation for her accession to the European Union. And I’m very happy, a few weeks after the election of the new president, Mr Basescu, and the forming of the new government, to come and give a new boost, fresh impetus to our relations, in the final straight which Romania has to complete before her accession to the European Union in 2007.

MOLDAVIA/UKRAINE/EU

Q. – And France has always supported Romania's accession to the European Union. But there are large Romanian communities in neighbouring countries – and I'm talking here about Serbia, Ukraine and Moldavia – and we know that the best way of being together is within the European Union. What do you think about Moldavia and Ukraine's possible accession to the European Union?

THE MINISTER – Things really must be looked at in the right order. These countries may have, or have a European aspiration. I was in Kiev myself a few weeks ago to meet President Yushchenko, and I said that the Ukrainian people's European aspiration was legitimate, but I also said things had to be done in order. We ourselves have to put some things in order in our European house, soon with Romania and Bulgaria as well. Ukraine, which is a very great country, has a lot of things to do in the way of her own economic and democratic reform. Let's put things in order and, after that, we'll see about the subsequent stages. Let's not do them in the wrong order. What's important is to have strong, constructive neighbourly relations with Ukraine, with Moldavia and other countries, to help those countries in their reforms and economic and democratic movements.

ROMANIA/FRANCE/ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Q. – Economic relations between Romania and France are very dynamic. Have you had the opportunity today to talk in depth about any economic issues of importance for both countries?

THE MINISTER – We French are Romania's third most important development partners and not the first, so we can do still better. French firms are active and performing very dynamically, creating jobs in industry, commerce, telecommunications and transport, here in Romania, and are supporting your country's development. There's currently very strong growth. And what's important to me is that this growth, this progress is spread out around the country, taking place, of course, in Bucharest, but also in the other regions, in "judets" throughout Romania. You're going to get a lot of money under the head of European solidarity – I managed the regional solidarity budget for five years in Brussels – and so you need to prepare to make good use of this money to improve the daily lives, education, health, transport, jobs and training, of our viewers. And France is ready and willing to contribute to this process.

Q. – Did you nevertheless champion any economic issues more than others?

THE MINISTER – We're active in a lot of sectors: banking, mass retailing, telecommunications, building, transport and the environment. In all these areas we have successful firms which want to create jobs in Romania, which want to transfer technology to Romania, for the benefit of Romania, and in all these spheres we are ready to participate in the development, calls for tender, the different markets which are opening up fairly and transparently. We are ready to participate in this development.

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION

Q. – There's another sensitive issue for Romania and France, especially for Romania: international adoption. I know there are some cases which were already in the process of being settled when the new Romanian legislation preventing international adoptions was passed. Did you talk about this today? Are there any answers?

THE MINISTER – Yes, I talked to President Basescu, the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister about this. Of course, because it's a humanitarian and human issue, I don't want to comment or give an opinion on the Romanian Act which is a matter for Romania's sovereignty and is, moreover, very much in line with the standards of European legislation. So I shall make no comment. It's for Romania to decide how she wants to protect childhood and handle adoption. Simply, a number of cases had been initiated before, including 24 of concern to French families, and I sincerely hope, with due regard for the Act, for European standards, that solutions can be found on a case-by-case basis. I asked for this, so that solutions are found for cases which are human, humanitarian cases.

(...)

ROMANIA/TRANSATLANTIC LINK/BLACK SEA

Q. – Do you understand Romania's need for security which has in a way pushed her to ask for a stronger transatlantic link? Do you understand? Do you have the same assessment for the Black Sea region and the Black Sea security area?

THE MINISTER – Romania's need for security is the same as that of France, Germany and Greece who isn't far away and is already in the European Union. It's a need for security in order to protect oneself, one's borders, and fight terrorism. I think the best security is being in the European Union, which isn't only a single market but also a mutually-supportive community – with, moreover, in the new European Constitution a solidarity clause between us – and then is going to become a political player. And this European Union (at least most of the member States) in which Romania is going to have her full place – and we need Romania, just as Romania needs the other Europeans – is an ally of the Americans, within the transatlantic Alliance. So, I think that the right reflex when you want to join the European Union, the legitimate, necessary reflex is a European one. And that doesn't stop one being friends with America or others./.