Romania will remain a state committed to the Francophone movement, following the achievement of the objectives and the responsibilities of the Strategic Framework 2023-2030, said president Klaus Iohannis during a meeting on Thursday with the secretary general of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, who pays a visit to Romania, between March 16-17, 2023, at the invitation of the Romanian president.
During the meeting with secretary general Louise Mushikiwabo, president Klaus Iohannis expressed his appreciation for the excellent cooperation with the OIF, an organization in which our country has a special role, as a lighthouse state of the Central and Eastern European region, the Presidential Administration informed.
The president of Romania emphasized Romania’s interest, as an important contributor to the activity and budget of the Organization, to obtain a top position within the International Organization of the Francophonie, either at the level of the Secretariat in Paris, or as Regional Representative of one of the external representatives of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
The president of Romania and the secretary general of the International Organization of the Francophonie also had an exchange of views on the international situation and the multiple crises that the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine has produced globally, with serious effects on the economy and food security in many of the Francophone countries.
For his part, secretary general Louise Mushikiwabo conveyed to president Klaus Iohannis her congratulations and those of the Organization for the 30th anniversary of institutional Francophonie, an event that is in the attention of the entire Francophone movement, in which Romania plays a particularly important role since its establishment.
At the same time, the OIF official particularly appreciated Romania’s efforts to facilitate the flow of cereals from Ukraine to world markets and to help Ukrainian refugees, as well as to support Moldova’s economy, severely affected by the war in Ukraine.
After the official talks, president Klaus Iohannis and secretary general Louise Mushikiwabo opened the works of the conference “The Francophonie of the Future: Education for Sustainable Development!”, held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
The summit inaugurated by the president of Romania represented the central event marking the 30 years of belonging of our country to the institutional Francophonie, the title of the conference being in fact the pennant theme of this year’s anniversary moment.
The conference at the Cotroceni Palace, which was also attended by the Romanian premier Nicolae Ciuca, and high-ranking representatives of the Francophone structures, ministers of education in Romania, France, Morocco, Mauritius, Cameroon, New Brunswick – Canada, offered the opportunity to make known the status of our country, which occupies the second place globally in terms of the number of Francophone branches affiliated to the University Agency of Francophonie. In their interventions, the ministers of education presented examples of good practices developed at national level in the field of education for sustainable development.
Romania wants to work more and more closely with international partners in order to develop good practices, tools and materials relevant to education on climate change and the environment, as well as in the development of sustainable school infrastructure.
The participants in the conference indicated international cooperation in the field of education on climate change and the environment as essential in the process of building a sustainable future for Romania and for the entire Francophonie, the source said.
Romania is a true champion of the promotion of the Francophonie and its values – a flagship state of the Francophonie
Romania wants an active, inclusive, influential and forward-looking Francophonie that can make a concrete contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, with a well-defined role in an effective multilateral system, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday at the International Conference “Francophonie of the Future: Education for Sustainable Development.”
The head of state brought to mind that it is 30 years since Romania has become a full member of the institutional Francophonie and stressed that the theme of the conference – “Francophonie of the Future: Education for Sustainable Development” – is not accidental, education and sustainable development being priorities for both Romania and the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
“More than 50 years after its foundation, the International Organisation of La Francophonie has evolved from an institutional mechanism dedicated to the promotion of the French language to a mature multilateral organisation, united in the defence of its common values – peace, democracy and human rights,” said President Klaus Iohannis.
Thirty years after its accession, Klaus Iohannis said, Romania is a true champion of the promotion of the Francophonie and its values – a flagship state of the Francophonie, as it has been designated since 2007 by the Secretary General of the Francophonie. He also pointed out that, with the support of the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the Francophonie University Agency, Romania has launched, for the first time, initiatives that have contributed to promoting the use of the French language and creating opportunities for French-speaking students and young researchers, which have subsequently been taken up and organised by other member states of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
“Romania’s contribution to the activities of the International Organisation of La Francophonie is robust and constant, mainly focused on funding unique programmes at the level of La Francophonie. The “Eugen Ionescu” doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowship programme, which has been running continuously since 2007, is a concrete example of our contribution to increasing mobility and educational and professional opportunities for young Francophone researchers,” said Iohannis.
He also pointed out that the climate transition and building a green economy require new skills provided through education and training programmes, recalling that last year the Francophonie Summit adopted the Strategic Framework 2023-2030 – a reference document reflecting the vision for the coming years and the levers to implement it.
The head of state stressed that for the sustainable development of society, the Francophonie needs to take action in the field of education in order to fully mobilise women and young people to prevent and reduce violence against women, access to education for girls, the participation of women and young people in decision-making processes and their access to jobs.
Compiled from Agerpres
Photo: www.presidency.ro
