French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will visit Romania on July 11 and 12, five months after Romanian PM Victor Ponta also visited France (both in picture). According to pundits, the French PM visit to Romania could be good news, given that France was among the countries which had blocked, together with other EU states, Romania's Schengen entry. The Romanian PM's visit to Paris earlier this year was meant to revive the partnership between Romania and France, signed in 2008, when former French President Nicolas Sar­kozy visited Bucharest.

The relationship between the two countries was tensed not just because of the Schengen issue, but also because of the problem France had with Roma groups from Romania. Both countries currently have socialists Governments, which should help iron out a better relationship, according to commentators.

France is the fourth largest foreign investor to Romania, with total investments of EUR 5 billion so far, and the third largest export destination for Romanian products, mainly fueled by the sale of Dacia cars.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Victor Ponta on Facebook)