国际英语新闻：France, Romania to hold meeting on Roma repatriation, integration

PARIS, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- France and Romania are due to hold a meeting in Paris to discuss the recent repatriation of Roma and shed more light on the adequate ways to improve their integration, French Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Romanian Secretary of State of the Public Order and Safety Department Dan Valentin Fatuloiu and Secretary of State of social integration Valentin Mocanu are expected to fly to France on Wednesday with the aim to discuss the situation of Roma in their native country and in France, the ministry added n a statement.

"The objective (of the visit) is to develop a concrete cooperation with Romanian officials to meet the difficulties facing the Roma community,"it stressed.

The French government expelled 79 illegal Roma migrants last week to Bucharest after dismantling more than 50 illegal camps as part of President Nicolas Sarkozy's campaign to fight crimes and delinquency.

It targets to repatriate 700 Romanian at the end of this month despite rising angry voices accusing Sarkozy of feeding racism and creating more violence.

The Romanian delegation is due to meet Brice Hortefeux, French interior minister, Eric Besson, immigration minister and Pierre Lellouche, secretary of state charged of European affairs.

The meeting targets at promoting the Roma integration in Romania notably by mobilizing higher European funds to help the country's poor people, according to the statement.

Both delegations will also discuss ways to ensure the best possible conditions for reintegration of repatriated people from France.