Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann is currently on a visit to Romania, whose main purpose is to deepen economic and energy policy relations between the two states, but also to promote European integration in the Danube Region, the German Embassy in Bucharest informs.

On Monday, Minister-President Kretschmann is scheduled to have bilateral discussions with President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. On the occasion of the meeting with Prime Minister Ciolacu, a Joint Declaration of Intent regarding the expansion of relations between the land of Baden-Württemberg and Romania will be signed.

The two sides have been collaborating since 2004 within a joint intergovernmental commission, and since 2011 they have been implementing joint projects through the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Relations have since developed successfully both economy-wise and in many other areas, the cited source states.

In the Joint Declaration, both parties reaffirm their support for the Republic of Moldova’s path towards EU integration and express their willingness to invite Moldovan government representatives to the meetings of the joint intergovernmental commission.

A Declaration of Intent between the two Ministries of the Interior in the field of civil protection will also be signed during the meeting at the Victoria Palace of Government.

On Monday, Prime Minister Kretschmann will also meet with representatives of the German minority in Romania, as well as with other partner organizations. The delegation also has a visit to the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum on the agenda.

In the evening, Prime Minister Kretschmann and his delegation will attend, at the invitation of the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, MP Silviu Vexler, a concert of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta. The musical event takes place in the context of the Bucharest meeting of the presidents of the Jewish communities in Europe, the U.S. and Israel, marking the 145th anniversary of the grant of the Romanian citizenship to the first Jews.

Accompanying Prime Minister Kretschmann on his Romanian visit are Minister for Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Peter Hauk; Secretary of State and representative of the state of Baden-Württemberg to the EU Florian Hassler; Thomas Blenke – State Secretary for Digitalization and Local Communities with the Ministry of the Interior; State Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector Andre Baumann; and State Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Arne Braun, alongside representatives of lawmaker groups in the Parliament of Baden-Württemberg and representatives of the business environment.

AGERPRES