President Appoints George Ciamba As European Funds Minister

Iohannis previously announced that he will make a rapid decision in the matter, since there are less than months left until Romania is due to take over the EU Council presidency, adding that he had a “good collaboration” with Ciamba in the past.

A secretary of state from Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, George Ciamba was nominated by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila for the vacant office on Tuesday.

The secretary of state will take over the office recently vacated by former minister Victor Negrescu.

George Ciamba is a career diplomat and has been working within the Foreign Affairs Ministry 1990, according to the ministry’s website. He previously served as Romania’s ambassador to Greece and Turkey, as well as a permanent representative of the country to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The former Romanian Minister-delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, resigned from the office on Saturday, less than two months before Romania is set to take over the presidency of the EU Council.

The former minister did not offer a reason for his decision, but announced on Sunday that the country is on schedule with preparations for the presidency both politically and logistically.