Romania’s foreign policy priorities

Carrying over the tradition of his predecessors, President Klaus Iohannis has met with foreign ambassadors to Bucharest.

România Internațional, 22.01.2016, 14:31

President Klaus Iohannis has outlined Romania’s main foreign policy guidelines as part of his annual meeting with foreign ambassadors to Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis said the Strategic Partnership with the United States and Romania’s NATO and EU membership have been and will continue to be the pillars of Romania’s foreign policy. At the same time, the president argues, Romania wants to be not only a beneficiary, but also a provider of security and stability in the region, to strengthen its status and role at NATO and EU levels.

Here is president Klaus Iohannis: “The disturbing context, marked by growing concerns in the eastern vicinity, calls for urgent measures to consolidate security. This entails both an internal effort and taking part in NATO and US operations”.

As regards the EU, the president said: “I expect to see more coherence, vision, strategy and rigor from the EU. The European project is more than just a slogan, and the European Union is not merely a set of bureaucratic mechanisms”.

The main challenge facing the EU at present is migration. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated Bucharest’s standpoint in this matter, arguing that Romania isn’t opposed to receiving immigrants, but merely questions the distribution procedure. The president once again expressed solidarity with the other European states, adding that Romania would continue to actively contribute to solving the refugee crisis.

As regards Schengen, the president said that although the Schengen area faces a great many difficulties and challenges at present, Romania still wants to join the free-travel area. Another important point on Romania’s foreign policy agenda is the consolidation of strategic partnerships or of privileged relations with Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, Great Britain and Turkey.

Bucharest will continue to focus on its relations with its neighbours, the president said, reaffirming Romania’s support for the European integration efforts of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia under the Eastern Partnership. Romania will also remain a vocal supporter of EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans and an active contributor to regional stability, president Klaus Iohannis went on to say.