Romania will keep to its Euroatlantic path
Romania believes in the future of the EU and remains a pro-Atlantic state
Ştefan Stoica, 19.02.2025, 14:00
Romania’s foreign policy will maintain its natural course, as a member of the European Union and NATO, having a Strategic Partnership with the USA and being open to cooperation with all partners who share the same values and principles that we support. It is one of the important messages conveyed on Tuesday, by the interim president of the country, Ilie Bolojan, at the annual meeting with the heads of accredited diplomatic missions in Bucharest. According to the president, Romania remains a state that firmly believes in the future of the European Union, a pro-Atlantic country and a responsible ally.
Ilie Bolojan stated that it was time for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which began three years ago, to stop. A ceasefire, followed as soon as possible by a just and lasting peace, is a goal that must be pursued not only by the parties in conflict, but also by the entire international community, he emphasized. In his opinion, the peace that is being negotiated now will not be a lasting one if it does not represent the result of compromises equally acceptable to both sides and if the international players do not provide a comprehensive package of security guarantees for Ukraine, in the short and long term.
The benefits of our EU membership are clear, and Romania supports any process at the European level that aims to increase the cohesion and strategic resilience of the Union and the member states, assured the interim president. From a strategic and security perspective, Romania has assumed an active role in strengthening defense and deterrence, as well as NATO’s presence on the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea, which is a region of strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security. We will continue, Ilie Bolojan firmly promised, the close coordination with the allies, to ensure NATO’s defense and deterrence measures. He thanked all the allies and partners for their contribution to the security of Romania and the Black Sea region through the deployment of military personnel and equipment on the territory of the country.
The Strategic Partnership with the United States has been and will remain a pillar of Romania’s foreign policy, president Bolojan stressed again. We believe in this relationship, which has progressed substantially over time, as we believe that it can be further strengthened in its substance through our joint projects, be they in the field of security, energy, trade or investments in general, Ilie Bolojan also said. He welcomed Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, which he believes will have a crucial impact on bilateral relations, including from the perspective of cultural and scientific exchanges and relations between citizens. We share with the United States the conviction that investments in Defense must be consolidated, which Romania is already doing by increasing the share of Defense in the Gross Domestic Product and through endowment projects, President Bolojan also stated. (MI)
