Strategic partnership reaffirmed
US and Romanian MPs advocate for strengthening the relations between the two countries
Bogdan Matei, 16.04.2025, 14:00
With a new administration led by the Republican Donald Trump that excels in unexpected moves, the United States has in Congress an institution that vows stability and predictability. These goals are shared by Romania, a US ally within NATO and linked to them by two decades of strategic partnership.
Eight members of the United States Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, met on Tuesday in Bucharest with the interim president Ilie Bolojan, the PM Marcel Ciolacu, and Romanian Senators and Deputies from the ruling and opposition parties.
The Republican Congressman of Florida Vern Buchanan told local journalists that the goal of the talks is to strengthen bilateral relations and take them to another level. “We have many companies here that create many jobs and we want to increase their number. Your country is important to us,” he added.
The Romanian side later said that there was no talk about withdrawing the 1,700 American troops from Romania, a scenario put forth after Trump’s return to the White House.
Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme, suspended by the current administration after the ex-president Joe Biden’s Democratic team had scheduled it for March 2025, was another topic approached in Bucharest. “We asked our US colleagues to take note of the efforts that Romania has made in recent years, as confirmed by our joining this programme; we continue to rely on their support to end this suspension as quickly as possible,” the Deputy Daniel Suciu said.
After cancelling its presidential election at the end of last year, Romania has learned the necessary lessons and public institutions are committed to ensuring the fair and transparent conduct of the elections, in full accordance with democratic standards, said the interim president Ilie Bolojan, at the meeting with the members of Congress.
According to a news release from the Presidency, the main areas of the strategic partnership were addressed during the meeting, with an emphasis on security, economic cooperation and prospects for the development of the bilateral relationship.
The US delegation arrived in Romania on Monday evening from Chisinau, where the eight members of Congress met with the pro-Western president of neighbouring Moldova, Maia Sandu. She thanked the United States for its year-long support in modernising public institutions, strengthening energy resilience, and defending Moldova’s sovereignty against foreign threats. (AMP)
