British deputy PM Prescott visits Bucharest

British deputy prime minister John Prescott visits Bucharest on Tuesday and Monday for a series of top level talks on the framework of Romania-UK relations within the European Union, a British Embassy press release says.

Prescott is expected to land in the Romanian capital on Tuesday afternoon and will hold taks with President Traian Basescu, PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu and several high-profile ministers.

Prescott is the highest ranking British official visiting Romania since prime minister Tony Blair visited the country in May 1999.

Prior to his departure, Prescott said „this is an exceptional time to be coming to Romania, and I am delighted to bring my Prime Minister’s and the British cabinet’s message of confidence that Romania, as the 7th largest Member State, will actively shape the future of EU.

“As Tony Blair said on 1st of January 2007, joining the European Union is a great achievement for the people of Romania and Bulgaria. It’s also a source of great satisfaction for us, since Britain has always been a strong supporter of your membership.”

According to the British Embassy, in May 2006 the Prime Minister asked John Prescott to oversee and co-ordinate the efficient development of Government policy across the full range of domestic policy areas, which he will do through his chairmanship of a number of major Cabinet Committees.

The Prime Minister also asked him to continue with his international work particularly with regard to China, and, in recognition of his work in delivering the Kyoto Treaty, to work with the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for the Environment on implementing our domestic post-Kyoto environmental objectives within the UK.