The Romanian Prime Minister Travels to the United States

Victor Ponta also assured American companies that the Romanian judiciary would no longer be involved in political infighting

Bogdan Matei, 23.10.2013, 14:25

Ten years ago, Victor Ponta was sporting Che Guevarra T-shirts and saying he would chain himself to the gates of the first US army base in Romania. As the country’s prime minister today, he has demonstrated that irrespective of the political orientation of the government in Bucharest, the US remains Romania’s most important political and military partner, a position reiterated during Mr. Ponta’s recent visit to Washington.

US vice-president Joe Biden in fact thanked him for Romania’s constant support over issues such as Afghanistan and the missile defence shield. The talks in Washington this time focused on economic collaboration, as Victor Ponta explained:

Victor Ponta: “The response from the American side was: be strong economically and independent as far as energy is concerned and you will surely be an important military, political and economic partner for us.”

Victor Ponta also assured American companies that the Romanian judiciary would no longer be involved in political infighting and that their investment is safe:

Victor Ponta: “[…] any investor who observes Romanian law and international standards will benefit from the protection of the government and the judicial system for his investments.”

While the problem of the Visa Waiver Program for Romanians is yet to be solved, the prime minister’s agenda also included talks with members of the US Congress.