Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis

Autonomy, Regionalization, Decentralization

Autonomy, yes! Regionalization, yes! Decentralization, yes!; but never based on ethnic criteria! This is the message of Romanias President Klaus Iohannis to the local authorities in the so-called Szekely Land, in central Romania. The territory is made up of the counties of Covasna and Harghita, where the number of ethnic Hungarians is significantly larger than that of ethnic Romanians, and part of Mures County. In Covasna and Harghita, most localities are administered by members of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which has always been present in Parliament and has also been part of several of the ruling coalitions in Romania since the 1989 anti-Communist Revolution.

Romania has always been appreciated for its commitment to observing the rights of all ethnic minorities living on its soil, which account for 11% of its 20 million strong population. Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority in Romania, and although they benefit from many rights, they would still like to become autonomous, with support from Budapest. In their view, the Szekely Land should be a region on its own, with its own flag, president, government and Parliament, all regional.

During his visit on Tuesday to Covasna and Harghita, president Klaus Iohannis said, that, too often realities in the two counties are interpreted so as to divide, highlight differences, not similarities, and promote hostility, intolerance and rejection towards people from different ethnic groups, be they majority or minority. These are sure ways to block not only the development of these communities, but also the country as a whole.

President Klaus Iohannis:

“I believe that decentralization is a must, because local officials know best what their communities need and they must have the necessary tools in place to act for the benefit of those whom they represent. Regionalization can also be taken into consideration, but only if its aim is to render regional government more effective, which means that it serves the citizens and helps create new jobs as a result of economic growth. Local and regional autonomy can help, but autonomy based on ethnic criteria is not something that should happen, because this would hinder development.”

According to the head of state, the counties of Covasna and Harghita benefit from a particularly rich tourist potential, on which local authorities should capitalize more. Klaus Iohannis:

“There are historical monuments in the area that render the region special. Also, there are spas and resorts of national interest and mineral water reserves that are worth exploiting. There are many ethnographic areas that must be preserved, because they have an extraordinary capacity to attract both Romanian and foreign tourists. That is why local authorities should get more involved in using and capitalizing on these resources.”

At a meeting with approximately 300 local officials from Covasna and Harghita, Klaus Iohannis was offered the flag of the so called Szekely Land. In return, president Iohannis, prepared for such a gesture, offered them the flag of Romania.

19 July 2017
Strong ties between Romania and the US

Last week, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis paid a five-day visit to the US. The most important part of the visit was on Friday, when Iohannis met the US President Donald Trump. The main topics of discussion were the Romanian – US Strategic Partnership, signed twenty years ago, the fight against corruption and terrorism, and the budget earmarked for defense. The two heads of state highlighted the fact that this Partnership must grow stronger and define bilateral relations, because this is important to both nations. According to the Romanian head of state, the partnership with the US has helped Romania become what it is today: a solid democracy, with a solid an sustainable economic growth, a country who’s been standing together with the US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iohannis stressed the fact that the Romanian – American relations and the trans-Atlantic ties are vital.

Romania is a member of the European Union. And I think it’s the best interest of you, Mr. President, to have a strong European Union as a partner. This is vital for all of us. Our relationship, the transatlantic link is vital. The transatlantic link is not about diplomacy, about policy, it’s at the basis of our Western civilization. And together, we will make it stronger. Together, we will make it better, the Romanian President told Donald Trump. NATO and the European Union do not have to compete against each other. They have to work together. They have to work in such a manner as to produce synergetic effects. Make NATO stronger. Make Europe stronger. Make the United States of America stronger, the Romanian president also said.

Klaus Iohannis also highlighted the fact that Romania relies on the US as regards the Eastern Flank, because Romania cannot stand there without the US. On the other hand, the Romanian President also said, the partnership between Romania and the US has a huge opportunity to step up not only in security matters, but also in commercial and economic matters.

In turn, the US President Donald Trump hailed the relationship with Romania and stated that the Strategic Partnership covers many dimensions, including economic, military and cultural ties. The White House leader thanked the Romanian people for their support in combating terrorism. Romania has been a valuable member of the coalition to defeat ISIS, the US President said, adding that Romania is the fourth-largest contributor of troops in Afghanistan. Many Romanian soldiers have paid the ultimate price for being there and the American honors their sacrifice, the US President also said. President Donald Trump also appreciated the fact that Romania has earmarked 2% of its GDP to defense and voiced hope that other NATO allies would follow Romania’s lead in that respect.

In another move, Donald Trump clearly committed the US to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which binds the members together, committing them to protect each other and setting a spirit of solidarity with any member under attack. The White House leader, who called the Romanian President a good friend, also applauded his Romanian counterpart’s courage and courageous efforts in Romania to fight corruption and defend the rule of law.

The conclusion of the meeting between the two heads of state was drawn by President Trump himself, who wrote on Facebook: Great honour to welcome President Klaus Iohannis to the White House. The future of Romania and Romania’s relationship with the United States is very, very bright.

12 June 2017
April 5, 2017 UPDATE

VISIT – Romania is a profoundly pro-Europe state, and a supporter of the project aimed at relaunching the EU, said Romanias president Klaus Iohannis during the meeting he held on Wednesday in Bucharest with the President of the German Bundestag Norbert Lammert. In turn, the German official said that the EU was the best response to globalisation, and the idea promoted by some politicians that sovereign competences would be regained by weakening the EU was an illusion. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Presidential Administration, the two officials also approached bilateral cooperation, the future of the EU and the refugee issue. The Bundestag President voiced his support for the continuation of the fight against corruption and strengthening the rule of law, as well as his appreciation for the Romanian citizens civic and pro-European spirit.

JUSTICE – The Romanian justice minister Tudorel Toader announced on Wednesday that the bill aimed to harmonize the provisions of the Criminal Codes with the rulings issued by the Constitutional Court will be open for public debate and then submitted to Parliament to undergo the appropriate legislative procedures. He underlined that the bill does not establish a minimum cap for the damage caused in a case of abuse of office. Partially decriminalising the offence of abuse of office, by introducing a ceiling of 45,000 Euro, under which such acts would have not been considered criminal offences, was one of the amendments introduced by Toaders predecessor Florin Iordache in the controversial emergency decree number 13, adopted in January. The emergency decree, which was later repealed, caused the largest street protests in post-communist Romania.

CORRUPTION – The former head of the National Health Insurance Agency Lucian Duta is subject to judicial restrictions pending trial, in a case in which he is accused of bribe taking. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, he reportedly took some 8 million Euros in bribe, in several instalments, from representatives of various companies. In exchange for the money, Duta allegedly signed several contracts related to the single IT system and the implementation of the health card. The former head of the Health Insurance Agency in Romania has 10 days to pay a 1 million Euro bail. Otherwise, a more severe measure might be enforced.

EU – Romania and France share their vision of the future of the EU, with focus on unity and cohesion and a better cooperation between the 27 member states, the Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall has stated. On Wednesday, she concluded her two day visit to Paris, where she held talks with the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir and the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the French Senate Jean Bizet. The officials approached issues such as the future of the EU, Brexit and the Schengen area. Also, the agenda of talks included the preparation for Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU council in the first half of 2019.

NORTH KOREA – On Wednesday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reacted to the news that North Korea had launched another medium-range ballistic missile, terming it a violation of the UN Security Councils resolutions. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also stressed the fact that such repeated actions were major threats to world peace and security and made an appeal to the Pyongyang authorities to fully observe the international regulations in force and to avoid actions that might destabilize the situation in the peninsula and in the world. In the past years, North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and in 2016 it launched some 20 ballistic missiles. The international community is concerned that Pyongyang might actually work on building an inter-continental ballistic missile.

BREXIT – The European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday endorsed, by a large majority, a resolution establishing priorities in the negotiations over the UKs exiting the Union. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the resolution benefits from the support of the big political parties in the EP. The main provision of the resolution is ensuring a fair treatment of all the EU citizens in Great Britain, while at the same time protecting the rights of the British who live in EU countries. Also, the resolution provides that, by the time Brexit becomes official, the UK should observe the four European fundamental freedoms: the free movement of goods, people, services and capital. The EP plays a major role with regard to the Brexit issue, especially through the vote on the final agreement.

AWARD – The Culture Palace in Blaj, central Romania, is the recipient of the 2017 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage, in the Conservation category. In the Dedicated Service category, the award went to Zoltan Kallos, an ethnologist with a research career spanning more than 70 years and focusing on the Hungarian, Romanian, Saxon and Rroma communities in Transylvania. The prize, known as Europa Nostra, is the highest distinction awarded in Europe in this field. The 29 winners from 18 countries are recognized for their outstanding contribution in the fields of conservation, research, dedicated services and education, training and awareness. The jury was made up of independent experts and examined some 200 applications submitted by organizations and natural persons from 39 European countries.

ICE HOCKEY – On Thursday, Romanias national mens ice hockey team will take on Iceland, in the third match of the World Championship, Second Division, underway in the Romanian city of Galati, in eastern Romania. In the first two matches, Romania defeated Belgium 9-1 and Serbia 4-1. The Romanian teams goal is to come in first in the group, as this would secure its promotion to the next stage. These are the first matches played under the training of the new coach of the Romanian team, the Canadian Martin Lacroix.

HANDBALL – The Romanian Cristina Neagu, playing for Buducnost Podgorita, designated the worlds best handball player in 2016 and four players with the CSM Bucharest handball club, namely Majda Mehmedovic, Isabelle Gullden, Anastasia Lobaci and Carmen Martin, have been nominated to be part of the Champion Leagues All-Star Team. This year, the European Handball Federation has nominated 50 players and trainers from 18 countries and 12 clubs that have played in the Champions League in the current season. The voting will be held online, between April 5th – May 2nd. The membership of the All-Star team will be announced at the final tournament in Budapest, due on May 6th -7th.

5 April 2017
Debates on the Future of the European Union

Euroscepticism seems to be growing along with the promotion of the idea of a multi-speed Europe. East-Europeans are afraid that such prospects might trigger a split that would mark the future development of the EU in a negative way. The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the one who set fort the idea of a multi-speed Europe, has given assurances that this would not build another iron curtain between the West and the East. He made the statement at the summit held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in the 27-member formula, without the UK, where the participants discussed the future of the EU.

The EU leaders would like to see a re-launch of the Union after Brexit, as provided in the so-called White Paper which is to be adopted at the summit due in Rome on the 25th of March. In Brussels, Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, who stated that a multi-speed Europe for an indefinite period of time is not a good solution, as it might actually lead to the splitting of the Union. However, he has also stated that Romania should not be worried about a Europe running at various speeds, provided every member state can choose its own speed for a while.

Klaus Iohannis: “We should not be afraid of the projects that entail various operating speeds, as it is, for instance, the European prosecutor. So, 17 members have signed, including Romania, others have not signed yet. Some will come later, others may not come at all, but this does not mean we should not go forward, this is not a multi-speed Europe, its just a project that some are willing to join sooner, others later. This is acceptable, but stating that there are countries in Europe that move forward and others that lag behind, that we cannot accept.”

In turn, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that the two-speed Europe formula will not be adopted officially, because such an idea would be opposed by many countries, including Romania.

Teodor Melescanu: “I am very glad that, regarding this issue, which is of utmost importance to Romania, as a member of the EU, our stands are very clear: we are against adopting principles or rules pertaining to the idea of a two-speed running or variable geometry. We are aware that, even today, there are structures in Europe that we are not part of, such as the Eurozone. The EU has several speeds anyway as there are countries that are part of the Eurozone, others that have not been included, countries that are part of Schengen, others that are not.”

(Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

13 March 2017
February 4, 2017 UPDATE

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST Protests continued in Bucharest on
Saturday, for the fifth day in a row,
against the decree issued by the Romanian Government to amend the
criminal codes. The night before, hundreds
of thousands of people took to the streets, in Bucharest as well as in
many other towns and cities across the country and abroad, to demonstrate
against the provisions of the emergency ordinance which, they say, helps
high-ranking politicians and local and central government figures to no longer be
held accountable for corruption. The
leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea has spoken about the possibility
of abrogating the controversial decree, as a means to ease the tension in
Romania, also given that supporters of the party have announced their intention
to take to the streets themselves, unhappy with the fact that the Executive is
not allowed to implement its governing program. In turn, the co-president of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu Tariceanu has stated that abrogating
the decree would allow the start of serious talks with large segments of
society. He has proposed to all stakeholders, parties, civil society and the
business environment, to sit at the negotiation table. The Romanian Foreign
Minister Teodor Melescanu has announced he will travel to Brussels early next
week to talk with EC representatives about the situation in Romania. In
Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis has notified the Constitutional Court,
signaling the conflict between the Government on the one hand, and the
Judiciary and Parliament on the other. The Supreme Council of Magistracy, the
Ombudsman and the General Prosecutor are also against the provisions of the
ordinance. The embassies in Romania of the US, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Great Britain and Sweden have voiced their concern over the
situation in Romania. They have warned that Government’s actions might affect
these countries’ partnerships with Romania, which are based on common values,
shared by the EU and NATO. In a statement on Radio Romania, the spokesman for
the US Department of State Mark Toner has said that the US calls on the
Romanian Government to give up the recent measures that undermine the rule of
law.

2017 DRAFT BUDGET The joint budget-finances committees of the
Romanian Parliament are discussing the 2017 draft state budget. A report must
be concluded by Sunday evening, for the document to be debated in plenary
parliament session on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the Government made up of
representatives of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats in Romania, the Finance Minister Viorel Stefan gave assurances that
the draft observes the main directions established under the governing program,
among which slashing the VAT from 20 to 19% and eliminating the income tax on
pensions of up to 2000 lei, the equivalent of some 400 Euros. The budget was
built taking into account a growth rate of 5.2% and a deficit of maximum 3%.
Also, Romania will stay committed to allocating 2% of the GDP to defense. The
right wing opposition, however, believes that the revenues on the basis of
which the budget was built are overestimated.

COMMEMORATION Commemorative events were held on Saturday at the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance in Sighet,
north-western Romania, to mark 64 years since the death of the great politician
Iuliu Maniu. The political personality of the leader of the National Peasant
Party, who was a Prime Minister between the wars and a member of the Romanian Academy,
was evoked through various presentations and speeches. A militant for national
union, a promoter of the democratic values, an opponent of Nazism and
Communism, Maniu was arrested in 1947 by the dummy Government imposed by the
Soviets and died in 1953 at the age of 80 in the Sighet prison, where most of
the former Democratic dignitaries had been imprisoned.

AWARD Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has been
awarded the Saint George Medal at an event organized by the Semper Opera House
in Dresden, eastern Germany, for his political commitment to promoting the
European project and its values. According to a communiqué issued on Saturday
by the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, the president has stated he
received the medal in the name of all Romanian and devoted it to the Romanian -
German friendship. Other personalities who have received the medal are the former
German President Christian Wulff, the former European Commissioner Gunther
Oettinger, the former president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso
and the current European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

TENNIS Romanian tennis players Horia Tecau and
Marius Copil were defeated in Minsk on
Saturday by the pair Max Mirnyi – Yaraslav Shyla of Belarus, in the doubles of the first round of Davis Cup’s
Europe/Africa Zone Group I. Leading the competition is now Belarus 2-1. On
Friday, the Romanian Adrian Ungur defeated Ilya Ivashka, and Marius Copil lost
to Egor Gherasimov. The last two singles are scheduled for Sunday: Marius Copil -
Ilya Ivashka and then Adrian Ungur – Egor
Gherasimov.

4 February 2017
January 25, 2017 UPDATE

COUNCIL OF
EUROPE Romania’s President Klaus
Iohannis said on Wednesday in plenary session of the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assembly that the world needs democratic societies, where
majorities do not take undue advantage of their rights, societies where the
principle of loyal and constructive cooperation between democratic institutions
works flawlessly. The President said that Romania has turned into a role-model
as regards the protection and promotion of national minorities’ rights, a model
acknowledged at European level. Also, the head of state announced that on April
6th, together with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Thorbjorn Jagland, will inaugurate in Bucharest an international conference
organized in cooperation with the Venice Commission on the roles played by the
majority and the opposition in a democratic society. On Tuesday, on the first
day of his visit to Strasbourg, the Romanian head of state met with Romanians
working at the Council of Europe and with representatives of the Romanian
community in Alsace. Also, he attended the ceremony marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

GOVERNMENT ORDINANCES On Wednesday, Romania’s Superior Council of
Magistracy, which has a consultative role in the debate on the draft government
ordinances on pardoning and amending the Criminal Code, advised against the
proposed changes. Among other things, according to the drafts set forth by the
new left-wing Government in Bucharest, convicts sentenced to less than 5 years
in prisons would be pardoned. The pardon would not benefit repeat offenders and
those who committed certain offences stipulated by the Criminal Code or by
special laws. One of the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code stipulates
that a case of abuse of office will be considered a criminal offence only if
the damage exceeds 44,000 thousand Euros, and the maximum sentence will no
longer be 7, but 3 years in prison for such an offence. The two draft emergency
ordinances have been vehemently criticized by the opposition and citizens. Last
week, dozens of thousands of people marched the streets of Bucharest protesting
against these measures and President Klaus Iohannis joined them. The Justice
Minister Florin Iordache claims that these changes are necessary in order to
solve the issue of prison overcrowding and to get the legislation in line with
certain rulings of the Constitutional Court.

CVM REPORT Romania continues to make progress in
reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption, but criticism leveled by
politicians and the press against judicial institutions, the National
Anticorruption Directorate in particular, might undermine trust in the justice
system. This is one of the conclusion of the European Commission’s report on
progress in Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM),
presented in Brussels on Wednesday. According to the report, the fact that many
top-level politicians in Romania have been indicted and convicted is a sign
that, as regards the independence of the judiciary, the trend is positive. In
ten years of EU membership and by implementing reforms under the CVM, Romania
has made major progress, reads the report drawn up by the European Commission,
according to which the positive trend of the past three years will also be
reflected in the 2017 report. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, the left-wing
Government in Bucharest and the main judicial institutions in the country have
appreciated the report. The next CVM report is to be drawn up at the end of
2017. We recall that Romania’s judiciary system has been monitored since 2007,
when the country joined the EU.

2017 BUDGET Romania’s revised
draft budget will be debated by Government on Friday, and will be submitted to
Parliament on the same day, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has announced. He
has also said that most of the money will go to the ministries of transport,
agriculture and health and to SMEs. The Presidential Administration and the
Romanian Intelligence Service, on the other hand, will get lower budgets, the
Prime Minister has also stated.

BREXIT The British Government has announced that
it will present on Thursday the bill under which it calls for Parliament’s
approval to officially start negotiations on withdrawing from the European
Union. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that Prime
Minister Theresa May must ask for Parliament’s approval to trigger article 50
of the Lisbon Treaty. Brexit Minister David Davis has stated that the British
Parliament will have to vote on the simplest bill possible. We recall that Theresa
May has repeatedly stated that the withdrawal procedure will start by late
March, and negotiations with Brussels will last two years.

CORRUPTION
PERCEPTIONS INDEX The rise of
populism in many countries is a reason for concern, according to Transparency
International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index made public on Wednesday. Corruption and inequality feed off each other to
create a vicious circle between corruption, unequal distribution of power in
society, and unequal distribution of wealth. This makes people feel
disappointed and turn towards populist trends, which are by no means the right
remedy, the report says. The Corruption Perceptions
Index 2016 covers perceptions of public sector corruption in 176 countries.Denmark and New Zealand perform best
with scores of 90, closely followed by Finland (89) and Sweden (88).For the tenth year running, Somalia is the worst
performer on the index, scoring only 10 this year. Romania is on the 57th
position.

25 January 2017
The radio-TV license fee under debate

The radio and TV license fee and the status of the two public media institutions were discussed on Thursday by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis, civil society representatives and journalists. President Iohannis wanted to know the experts opinion on this matter given that he will have to decide whether to promulgate or not the law that that annuls 101 taxes, including the radio and TV license fee.

The head of state would have endorsed the law had not the radio-TV license fee been among the ones to be cancelled. In his opinion, the latter cannot be eliminated through an emergency procedure, without a thorough debate and the consultation of the two institutions Boards. In the public sphere this matter may be perceived as a technical one, but its not like that at all, President Iohannis has stated. In his opinion, a distinction should be made between state-owned radio and TV stations and public stations.

Klaus Iohannis: “The question With or without license fee? can be translated by Public radio and TV services or state-owned radio and TV services? This is a fundamental difference that has very much to do with the way in which we want to build Romania. We either want state-owned TV and radio services or public TV and radio services, for the public.”

In turn, the representative of ActiveWatch media-monitoring agency Razvan Martin believes that the law on the functioning of the two media institutions needs to be reviewed after a thorough public debate. Razvan Martin:

“ActiWatch believes that no financing mechanism, irrespective of how advantageous it may be to the two media institutions, should be implemented without the existence of legal guarantees on how the two institutions resources are to be managed, in order to avoid situations such as the one the public television is facing now.”

On the other hand, the Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea, who initiated this law, was not invited to take part in the debate. Unsatisfied with the situation, he has sent President Iohannis a letter in which he emphasizes, among other things, that funding the two media institutions exclusively from the state budget does not trigger a decrease in the funds allotted to them. Dragnea also says that the management of the radio and TV services must be depoliticized and rendered professional, so that editorial independence is guaranteed.

However, President Klaus Iohannis has to decide by November 15 if he signs into law the bill that cancels over one hundred taxes, the radio and TV license fee included. According to pundits, this law, alongside the pay rises for healthcare and education employees recently endorsed by Parliament, are part of the so-called pork-barrel politics usually promoted before elections.

11 November 2016
The Balkan Route under European Debate

The European Union
keeps looking for solutions to solve the refugee crisis, the most serious since
the end of the second world war. The European Commission President, Jean Claude
Juncker, called for an emergency mini-summit on migration in the Western
Balkans on Sunday. The meeting was attended by heads of state and government
from eight EU countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Romania and Slovenia, plus another three countries that are not members of the
union, namely Albania, Macedonia and Serbia.

After 7 hours of talks, the
participants set up an action plan on 17 items, the most important of which
refers to the creation of 100,000 places for refugees, with the help of the UN.
Half of them will be set up in Greece, the first leg of the migrants’ Balkan
route, and the rest in the Western Balkan countries. The Athens authorities
have agreed to add 30,000 accommodation places for refugees, by the end of the
year, with support from the High UN Commissioner’s Office for Refugees. In
the second stage, another 20,000 accommodation places will be ensured in host
families in Greece, and the rents will be subsidized by the UN
High Commissioner’s Office for Refugees. The rest of 50,000 will be allocated among the
countries along the Western Balkans route used by the migrants, also under UN’s
coordination.

Another decision made at the summit was to deploy 400 police
officers in Slovenia, a country which is seriously affected by the wave of
migrants of late, following Hungary’s decision to close its borders with
Croatia. The plan also provides for boosting efforts for the return of those
people who need international protection and to boost cooperation in the
process of returning refugees to countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Iraq and Pakistan. The participant countries also agreed not to let immigrants
enter a neighboring country without a previous agreement on that.

The President
of the European Commission said that the Balkan countries should start
registering the migrants that reach
their borders. Improving the daily exchange of information was another measure
that the participants agreed upon, as well as tracking migrants along the
Western Balkan route and assessing the support needed for these countries. The
plan also focuses on a more efficient fight against human trafficking and
traffickers, and on strengthening such actions with the help of the Interpol,
Frontex and Europol.

26 October 2015