President Nicusor Dan has urged Romanians living abroad 'to test' Romania, saying that, despite all its 'shortcomings' and 'dysfunction,' the country has made progress over the past 20 years.

He attended the ninth edition of the RePatriot 'Top 100 Romanians Around the World' Gala, held at Cotroceni Palace.

'I am pleased and honoured to be here with you. I would like to thank those of you who travelled long distances to attend this gathering, and I will begin by congratulating the organisers of this format, which seeks and succeeds in bringing together entrepreneurs and successful members of the diaspora with the Romanian ecosystem. This is important because you have performed in a competitive environment and, for this reason, you have experience that can be useful to a developing country such as Romania,' Nicusor Dan said.

According to the president, relations between the public and private sectors need to improve.

'There are several questions. First of all, how do we make the relationship between the private and public sectors better, because the private sector is the engine of the economy, entrepreneurship is the engine of that engine, but unfortunately we have not had the most successful cooperation or synergy to harness the potential we have. There have been some steps forward compared with previous meetings. For example, at last, state aid schemes are being directed towards the trade deficit,' Nicusor Dan said.

He reiterated that cooperation between the state and the private sector requires initiative and that, unfortunately, the state still lacks the administrative capacity to formalise regulatory frameworks and procedures.

'There is a lot to be done and, a year ago, at a similar event, I said something that caused a little stir. As long as the administration is still operating on autopilot and is unable to create the framework that would boost your activities, come forward with draft legislation. 'What? How? Is the private sector going to take over the state's authority?' Neither we nor they came forward, and another year has passed. So this cooperation requires initiative where, unfortunately, the state still lacks the administrative capacity to formalise regulatory frameworks and procedures. If professional associations have the expertise, we are happy for them to bring it forward, because no one will take away Parliament's legislative authority and no one will take away the Government's executive authority. If we want to make progress, it is better for things to be more structured from the outset,' the president explained.

Nicusor Dan added that a second question is why members of the diaspora should return home. 'Of course, in a free world, it is good for people to come home, it is good for people to stay where they are and cooperate and take an interest in Romania; it is everyone's choice. I have travelled through the diaspora and heard comments such as: I would come home when I retire, but I am afraid of the healthcare system; I would return, but I don't know what kind of education my children would receive. My message is that the choice remains everyone's own. We live in a free world and people have sacrificed for that freedom. My message to those in the diaspora is to test Romania, to test Romania's healthcare system, because, despite all its shortcomings and dysfunctions, Romania has made progress over the past 20 years,' the head of state added.

He pointed out that medical equipment in Romania is no longer what it was 20 years ago and that there are doctors who trained at major clinics abroad, with some staying there while others returning.

'We have good schools and we also have very weak schools, both at pre-university and university level. What matters is that we have a realistic understanding of where we are in Romania today,' Nicusor Dan said.

He assured members of the diaspora that the authorities were open to partnerships between public institutions and the private sector and academia.

'I assure each and every one of you of our openness to partnerships between public authorities and the private sector, academia and the diaspora in general, and I hope that, together, by learning from one another and working together, we can do better for this country and for all of us,' the president concluded. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)

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