Prime Minister Rama paid today an official visit to Bucharest, Romania. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister of Social Welfare and Youth, Erion Veliaj, President of the Socialist Parliamentary Group Gramoz Ruçi and Vice president of the group Taulant Balla.
The delegation was received by Prime Minister Ponta at Victoria Palace, with the official welcoming ceremony with military honors.
Prime Ministers Rama and Ponta had a face-to-face meeting, which was followed by talks between the two delegations. During the meetings, the common will to intensify mutual bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest emerged.
The Social Security Agreement was signed at the conclusion of the talks. The agreement was signed by Minister Veliaj for the Albanian party and Minister of Labour, Family and Social Protection of the Elderly, Rovana Plumb for the Romanian party.
The Social Protection Agreement enables the recognition of insured years of pension for Albanian immigrants living in Romania and vice versa. This agreement applies to all Albanian citizens who live and work in Romania, whose number is approximately 5,000 people. In addition, Romanian nationals who come to Albania to work will benefit from the implementation of this agreement.
Benefits consist in cash benefits in the event of illness or accidents at work by the compulsory insurance scheme of social insurance and benefits in nature by the scheme compulsory health care insurance. This agreement creates the possibility of joining the insurance periods. The pension amount is calculated taking into account the two periods, but pension payments shall be borne proportionately by each state. The implementation of the agreement will enable the export of benefits from Albania to Romania, where the person resides or is domiciled in Albania and vice versa.
The meeting at the headquarters of the Romanian government concluded with a joint press statement of the two premiers.
Following is the full conference the two prime ministers:
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta:
“Hello!
I would like once again to welcome the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. I can say that he is a very close friend of mine. He is also a partner in all the projects that Romania and Albania have taken for the future.
I am glad and happy that besides discussions on political issues, Mr. Rama will attend some cultural events in Bucharest. I believe that promoting the book behind the scene of power will be a very interesting event. Here you can find every government’s behind the scene on television on a daily basis. But these are signs of democracy and I wish that Romania remains one of the main supporters of the European integration process of Albania. In fact, one of the main topics of discussion with Mr. Prime Minister of Albania is exactly the expertise and support of Romania in view of Albania’s EU integration. Even for other neighbors and friends of the region, which have not yet been integrated into the European Union, Romania’s position is always the same, right and correct attitude.
In addition to the support Romania offers to all countries for accession to the European Union, we have discussed concrete problems, especially in the field of energy. Romania has a surplus of electricity production, due to which Albania can benefit from this and should find contracting opportunities in the field of energy.
Also, in relation to the trade forum that opened in Tirana, we decided to intensify the activity of this forum.
We signed today an agreement on social support. Soon, ministers of the two countries will present their projects and proposals regarding the implementation of this agreement in the field of social support, as well as for the cooperation in the field of cultural exchanges and cultural heritage of both countries.
In conclusion I want to say that Romania will continue and wants to play a significant role in the regional context, to maintain and strengthen good relations not only with countries that are members of the EU, but also with those that are not yet part of the EU. Just as Albania’s accession to NATO represented a positive step to strengthen security across the region, the integration of all Western Balkan countries in the European Union will constitute also a support and an undoubted aid for Romania.
Once again thank you for your visit and I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Prime Minister Edi Rama for the event of the book promotion that will take place today.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama:
“Many thanks my dear friend Victor!
Romania is a friendly country, linked to us by history, culture, hundreds of students, as well as many familiar names. We are also linked to Romania also by an extremely close cooperation between our two governments.
One year ago on March 18, Prime Minister Ponta visited Tirana and we talked about ways of strengthening cooperation between us.
Today I am pleased to say that what we have talked about is starting to turn into concrete actions and tangible results. We signed an important agreement on social protection, which guarantees all those who work here, regarding their contributions. The same is valid also for Romanian citizens who work in Albania. We are on the verge of finalizing another important step that will be provided with the agreement between the two Ministries of Education for a quota of scholarships for Albanian students to come and study in the field of IT.
We are heading towards the finalization of a first agreement, but not last, in the field of energy cooperation, to enable mutually benefit from Romania’s surplus-production of energy. On the other hand, I am grateful to the Prime Minister for the readiness to support us immediately in our joint project with the European Commission to build a network of experts in our ministries and agencies that will advise and assist in the integration process and particularly in the preparation for the negotiation process in the European Union. They are experts who have done this process in Romania or in other countries which are now integrated into the European Union and who are willing to come to work in Tirana, of course, to enjoying the beauty of our country but also to do their work.
Last, but not least, my repeated request and my wish that Romania recognizes Kosovo and enable Kosovo to move forward in the process of recognition, by being included in the family of those great democratic and partner countries that have already recognized Kosovo. We believe that today’s recognition of Kosovo from Romania and other European countries is no longer a bilateral issue, but a common security issue of our common European space and the strengthening of ties in this area to prevent that other forces may influence by taking advantage of the frustration and isolation whatever.
Thank you very much!”
***
Also, the Prime Minister held a meeting with the Mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu.
Prime Minister Rama continued with meetings at the Palace of Parliament, where he was received in separate meetings with the Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Zgonea and Senate President Călin Popescu-Tariceanu.
