At a signing ceremony of five funding agreements under the Romanian-Swiss Cooperation Programme on Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that they will contribute to strengthening the political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
„We are signing today an important number of agreements that will allow us to carry out programmes to narrow economic and social gaps in Romania on Swiss funds. The second Swiss contribution, over RON 1 billion, is about supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, reducing youth unemployment, increasing public safety and security, protecting the environment, strengthening energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources, strengthening social systems and civic involvement,” Ciolacu said.
He appreciated the constant support offered by the Swiss partners and reiterated the commitment to „successfully” implement the projects funded by this contribution, generating „a visible impact through the multiplicative value of the projects.”
„I would like to emphasise a few things that make the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme special. First, it focuses on the areas and people who need help the most, as it is a programme that aims to narrow social gaps. Secondly, the programme emphasises concrete results that can be seen in people’s lives. We want the young generation to learn trades sought after on the labour market. We want young people to be protected from the dangers that target them and make them vulnerable. We want communities that spend less on energy. Thirdly, this programme helps us build for the future. We are not only solving today’s problems, but we are laying the foundations for better systems: in education, in justice, in public security, in energy, in healthcare. Last but not least, these agreements will contribute to strengthening the political, economic and cultural ties between Romania and Switzerland,” Ciolacu said.
He voiced his desire to continue dialogue with the Swiss Confederation in order to attract new Swiss investment to Romania, to capitalise on the potential of areas such as digital transformation, research and innovation and to protect ourselves by developing cooperation in defence industry or cybersecurity.
„In a Europe marked by geopolitical challenges, it is vital to strengthen relations between partners to ensure long-term cooperation and regional security. Thank you, Mr Federal Councilor, for your constant support for Romania and I am convinced that this new stage of our cooperation will bring concrete benefits to both parties and will contribute to the development and prosperity of our citizens,” Ciolacu said.
Five funding agreements under the Romanian-Swiss Cooperation Programme were signed on Thursday at a ceremony hosted by the Government House by Romania’s Finance Minister Tanczos Barna and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
AGERPRES
