David Muniz, the chargé d’affaires of the United States Embassy in Bucharest, said on Friday, at the Independence Day reception, that Romania leaves a positive mark on the world, recalling in this sense the reaction to refugees from Ukraine and the position at the recent NATO Summit in Madrid, when it offered the allies the unique and invaluable perspective of a NATO member on the border with the nation under Russian barbarian attack.
“I am also very pleased that Romania is leaving a positive mark on the world. Yes, certainly in the field of security, where it is now an exporter of stability, but in two ways that speak directly to the goodness and decency that characterizes this country and I am referring to Romania’s readiness to provide humanitarian aid to the neighboring country, which is under siege, and to its commendable success in combating trafficking in human beings. I know the Romanian people too well. The ability of Romanians to be really good does not surprise me at all”, said the diplomat.
He spoke in detail about the war in Ukraine and the reaction of the Romanians.
“I admit, I was amazed, moved, both by the official reaction of Romania to help the refugees from Ukraine, and by the private reaction of so many citizens. Processing of refugee requests, granting aid, efforts to simplify the requirements for granting the right to work and the desire to ensure that a generation of Ukrainian pupils and students are not lost are, in a word, admirable.’ The involvement and compassion of ordinary Romanians is a source of inspiration. The transportation provided altruistic actions, donations, care – all have strengthened what I and so many others already know: Romania is a great country, full of good people”, said Muniz.
He also referred to the recent decisions announced at the NATO Summit in Madrid.
“In speaking of the present, I would be remiss if I did not return to the security situation and our Alliance. Seventy-nine years ago, our nations were on opposite sides of the conflict which then tore the world in two. As we are all well aware, we remained ideological foes for decades after that, separated by yet another murderous shadow cast by the Kremlin, the impenetrable Iron Curtain. And yet today… Romania is one of America’s strongest and most dedicated Allies,” Muniz pointed out.
“Its leaders just returned from the NATO Summit in Madrid. At that summit, Romania provided its Allies with the unique and invaluable perspective of a trusted NATO member that borders a nation under barbaric Russian attack. Seeing the presence of some of America’s most storied military units in Romania now, working alongside our Allies in nearly seamless interoperability is amazing and inspiring. I mentioned Madrid, and I am sure that many of you are well aware, while in Spain, President Biden announced that the United States will soon be sending a brigade combat team to Romania,” The U.S. diplomat underlined.
“So, together we are moving towards an even stronger deterrence and defense posture. Our presence is proof to everyone that we take our security commitments seriously, that the United States stands wholly prepared…and capable…of fulfilling its Article V commitments, the Musketeers’ oath,” Muniz added.
He mentioned that both the United States and Romania are nations that have embraced their pasts and used them to build resilience and lay paths towards a brighter future.
“Just in May alone, we saw ground-breaking and unprecedented steps forward toward real energy security and independence in Romania with the green light for domestic construction of cutting-edge, American-designed, Small Modular Reactors. With this bold step—in conjunction with progress on the works at the Cernavoda Power Plant— Romania’s leadership—many of whom are here today—showed the clear-eyed vision needed to deliver to the Romanian people safe, reliable, sustainable, and clean energy. Romania is on the cusp of leading the way forward towards a new era of energy innovation and security. And in today’s world, any nation that is not energy independent is in a precarious situation. The spectrum of positive results that this foresight will have for Romania is immeasurable,” David Muniz also stated .
PM Ciuca: United States remains Romania’s closest military ally
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Friday that the United States remains Romania’s closest military ally, just as NATO remains the main guarantor of peace and security for all its members, adding that it welcomes the US’ decision to supplement the presence of American troops in Romania with another 5,000 troops.
“Today we celebrate 246 years since the birth of a nation that over time has inspired many others to follow its path to self-determination, the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights. We are witnessing today, not far from our borders, to the fight of the Ukrainian people for their own freedom and for their foreign policy and security choices. We all hoped that wars in Europe are a thing of the past, that we have reached a stage where we have become able to resolve our misunderstandings in an exclusively peaceful way. Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and unjustified aggression against Ukraine is once again trying to replace the rule of law with the law of force. The best way to respond to such a challenge is to act together, united, as one Euro-Atlantic community of values and ideals. Romania is and will remain a firm supporter of transatlantic unity,” Ciuca said at Independence Day reception organized by the US Embassy.
The Prime Minister mentioned that the year 2022 marks 25 years since the launch of the Strategic Partnership, which “opened the way for the deepening of the cooperation between Romania and the United States”.
“This Partnership played an important role in Romania’s accession to NATO in 2004. The United States of America remains our closest military ally, just as NATO remains the main guarantor of peace and security for all its members. I welcome on this occasion the US’ decision to supplement the presence of American troops in Romania with another 5,000 servicemen, concrete proof offered at the right time regarding the solidity of the guarantees that Romania benefits from within our Strategic Partnership”, said Nicolae Ciuca.
He pointed out that another pillar of the Partnership with the USA is economic cooperation.
“Last year, bilateral trade reached a new all-time high. Companies such as Bitdefender and UiPath, both founded in Romania, have already made their mark in the United States and are examples of Romania’s potential and know-how. We hope that other Romanian companies will follow their example soon”, Ciuca added.
The Prime Minister said that the Romanian Government is “deeply aware” that the development of trade relations and the growth of investments depend on a clear and predictable legal framework and will ensure the necessary conditions for “entrepreneurs to prosper”.
“The fact that in June the Council of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development approved the Roadmap for Romania’s accession to this organization is, in my opinion, a recognition of the progress already made in this regard,” Ciuca said.
The Prime Minister also referred to joint projects in the energy field and welcomed the decision announced by the USA on June 27 regarding the offer of 14 million dollars for a new stage of the modular reactor program in Romania.
“As part of the commitment of our country and the United States to cooperate to strengthen transatlantic strategic resilience, the Romanian Government will continue to implement the most important joint projects in the energy field. This will allow Romania not only to achieve energy independence – more importantly in the current geopolitical context – but it will also give us the opportunity to contribute to regional and European energy security”, Ciuca also declared.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that Romania and the USA have intensified their cooperation in areas related to renewable energy.
According to the head of the Government, “increased mobility between Romania and the US will greatly contribute to facilitating human relations, with clear benefits for trade and business partnerships”, noting that the visa waiver program should become possible as soon as possible.
“The Romanian Government will continue to work with US counterparts to make the accession to the visa waiver program, which is a common goal of both Romania and the United States, possible as soon as possible,” Ciuca added.
The Prime Minister also said that he hopes that the progress made in the cooperation between the two states will multiply in the coming years and that “the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States will continue to make a significant positive contribution at bilateral, regional and transatlantic level”. “Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day!”, the Prime Minister transmitted.
Compiled from Agerpres
Photo: Facebook/U.S. Embassy Bucharest
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