Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stressed on Friday that the Austrian chancellor's visit to Romania symbolically marked the handover of the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) from the Austrian government to that of Romania.

It is a transition from a protected Europe -- the motto of the Austrian Presidency -- to a Europe in which cohesion is seen as a common value, Dancila said during the joint statements alongside Austria's Sebastian Kurz.

"I want to congratulate the Chancellor for the Presidency, for the results they obtained, for the approach manner, for the manner of addressing the main challenges at European level," said Dancila.

"The presence of the Austrian chancellor in Bucharest is an important moment. It is a moment that I can say marks the start of a very important period for Romania, the first time when Romania holds the rotating presidency of the EU," she said.

The visit of Kurz took place in the context in which, starting Jan. 1, 2019, Romania will take over the Presidency of the EU Council from Austria.

Prior to the meeting with her Romanian counterpart, the Austrian chancellor was welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace by President Klaus Iohannis, where they had head-to-head talks, followed by a joint press statement.