Romania To Launch New Roma Integration Strategy – President

Basescu had a meeting with the head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Mevlut Cavusoglu, and discussed the Roma minority.

"We've discussed important issues regarding Romania's interest and European interests, including the Roma minority," said Basescu, adding he told the PACE president that Romania will take steps toward a speedier social integration of this minority.

Basescu said a new strategy for the integration of Roma for the 2011-2015 interval will be launched this spring and targets to speed up the integration process. He added official figures show half a million Roma ethnics live in Romania but their number is triple in reality.

The head of state also said institutions in charge of problems of the Roma minority will be subordinated to the Interior Ministry.

Basescu said the biggest issue is that of nomadic Roma. "We need to understand that this is part of their culture and we cannot isolate them and force them to stay put," he said.

He added nomadic Roma used to more around Romania before it joined the EU in 2007, but now that they are European citizens nobody can question their right to free movement.

"Romania must be responsible for its citizens but at the same time, we ask Europeans to be our partners in finding solutions," Basescu concluded.

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