Your Excellency,
Mr. Ambassador,
Dear guests,

Tags: Poland, Ponta, US Waiver, partnership, austerity

It is my pleasure to be this afternoon here, to directly express on behalf of the Romanian Government, our friendship and our commitment to improve and make our relationship even better in the next months and years to come.
I have never hidden my admiration for the development of Poland during the last years; I think that our common experiences in the history, during the Communist time and after the Communist time, could an inspiration and a good example to follow for Romania and I think that you can be even envied to see that Poland has succeeded not only to be three years earlier member of the European Union but even more, to be a stronger voice in Europe, to have more stable economic development.
I have followed a lot of Polish solutions to the challenges, beginning with the Constitutional crisis, not only this, but even with your position, with our common work for having a more fair and balanced financial framework for the European Union, your developments in energy and economy, even your experience in regional development. That is why I am here to say that Romania, my Government has a lot to learn from the Polish experience. I am also here to say that we have a lot, a lot of common interests, and I could say absolutely there are no controversial issues in our relationship.
That is why I hope that our so –praised strategic partnership which has been in the last 20 years excellent in principles and statements is going to be even more successful in implementation, and very concrete, common initiatives we have on short, medium and long term common interests from technical targets like Poland and Romania to be included in the Visa Waiver Programme of the United States but to have a common policy in the energy sector and I appreciate very much the developments promoted by the Polish Government, the military cooperation which is excellent but should be even real not only excellent in statements, all our strategic interests which I would summarize saying that we should balance the European Union and prove that the new member states, Poland and Romania, included, could be strong, and constructive voices in the challenges the EU is confronted with during these days and years.
I have also said just half an hour ago that Romania and Poland have found good answer to the question that is dividing right now Europe: austerity or growth and jobs? I think both countries have succeeded to have budgetary discipline but also to have economic growth and this can be improved only thinking together, working together and promoting together the interests of the countries in the region and the European values because I believe very much in principles and statements but I believe even more in very concrete steps.
I hope Mr. Ambassador that during my meeting with your Prime Minister at the beginning of next month, in Warsaw, we will be able to make very concrete decisions, to make concrete steps and to prove that Poland and Romania can be in the future stronger, powerful, and constructive in what our peoples and Europe is expecting from us.
I wish all the best to your country, please send all the best regards to your President, to your Prime Minister, to your members of the Cabinet, and I look forward to working together with your representatives the way we worked together during the last year, and I appreciate very much your activity as Ambassador here, I am very happy to announce that we will have a new Ambassador in Warsaw, and I think it is the first cohabitation decision, it is a good beginning and we are going to continue our relationship. Thank you very much and I wish you all the best!