The partnership for employment policies between Romania and Germany will be consolidated, the Minister of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, Petre-Florin Manole said in the discussions held on Thursday with the German Ambassador to Romania, Angela Ganninger,
„We talked about the reforms we are promoting at the Ministry of Labor and, in particular, about combating human trafficking, a topic that I care about and which has remained among my concerns, given my experience as former president of the parliamentary committee for combating human trafficking. We discussed and I am interested in good practices in Germany regarding employment because we need to promote the most efficient policies for integration and employment on the labor market in the coming period, especially for young people and vulnerable people. Last but not least, I congratulated Mrs. ambassador for the European Institute for Culture and Art Romania (ERIAC) association, a project launched in 2017 and to which I would like Romania to join. Social issues remain at the heart of my concerns, and dialogue with European partners is essential to build better policies for people,” the Romanian official said in a press release posted on the institution’s Facebook account.
According to the relevant ministry, the discussions between the two officials focused on the exchange of good practices in the field of labor and social solidarity in both countries.
„Several measures in the fields of employment and labor mobility, child protection and social protection at the level of Romania and Germany were reviewed. Following the discussions, the need emerged for Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany to renew their joint declaration of intent and work plan in the field of labor market and social policies. Another point of discussion was the analysis of the possibility for Romania to join the European Institute for Roma Culture and Art (ERIAC). This approach could support the Roma communities in Romania to value their cultural heritage for better social inclusion and for the promotion of cultural diversity at the European level. At the same time, the accession would offer increased opportunities for international collaboration, cultural exchanges and educational projects, consolidating Romania’s image as a state committed to supporting minorities and respecting the principles of European Union on equal opportunities and non-discrimination”, the press release states.
According to official data, 20% of Romania’s exports are destined for Germany. A report by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) shows that Germany is the largest investor in the Romanian economy, with effective investments of over 17.1 billion euros.
At the end of 2023, the Romanian community in Germany was 909,793 people, a considerable increase compared to previous years. Of these, over 90,000 received German citizenship. To these are added the approximately 500,000 ethnic Germans originating from Romania.
Also, the ethnic German community in Romania numbers approximately 23,000 people.
AGERPRES
