President Nicușor Dan presented on Tuesday the main directions of Romania’s foreign policy for the upcoming period: strengthening the partnership with the United States, supporting Ukraine, maintaining economic pressure on Russia, the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, and enhancing security in the Black Sea region.
The head of state spoke at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy about the situation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He acknowledged that the planned rotation for this summer did not take place due to the political crisis and expressed hope that the future government will give the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the „appropriate position.”
The statements were made at the Cotroceni Palace, where Nicușor Dan met with heads of diplomatic missions, consular officers, and directors of Romanian Cultural Institutes.
Relationship with the USA: security, but also more investments
One of the central points of the speech was the partnership with the United States. Nicușor Dan believes that the relationship has progressed, especially in the security field, but he also mentioned that Bucharest desires a stronger economic presence of American companies.
"The partnership with the United States, very important for Romania. Here, in my opinion, we have progressed, and beyond the security partnership that is advancing, we want a more significant economic presence of American companies in Romania," stated the president.
In the current international context, Romania is focusing on bilateral partnerships in defense, which complement the protection provided by NATO and other multilateral formats it is part of.
"Romania is a contributor to transatlantic security, a contributor to the security of the eastern flank and the narrower region in which we find ourselves," said Nicușor Dan.
He mentioned the B9 summit held in Bucharest, Romania's participation in the Helsinki format of the eastern flank, the Board of Peace, and the Will Coalition.
Ukraine: faster peace and economic pressure on Russia
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the president stated that Romania's objective is to achieve a lasting peace, not just to stop the fighting. "We want a rapid cessation of the war in Ukraine and a solid peace in the region," said Nicușor Dan.
To achieve this goal, Romania will continue to support Ukraine both bilaterally and through the international formats it is part of, and advocate for maintaining economic pressure on Russia.
Bucharest also supports the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and the Western Balkan states, while respecting the accession criteria.
Moldova and the Black Sea, priorities for Bucharest
The relationship with the Republic of Moldova remains "extremely important" for Romania's foreign policy, emphasized the president, who pointed out the concrete progress in the development of energy interconnections between the two countries.
Another significant point is the Black Sea, both from the perspective of Romania's and Europe's security and future economic ties with the Caspian region and Asia.
Nicușor Dan mentioned in this context the Neptun Deep project, where gas exploitation is expected to begin next year, as well as the development of energy interconnections with countries in the region.
The president also addressed hybrid threats, from actions with a "more kinetic" component to cyberattacks and disinformation, areas that, he says, need to remain a focus for authorities.
Accession to the OECD and European funds
In the relationship with the European Union, the upcoming period will be crucial for the negotiations on the future EU budget for 2028-2034.
Nicușor Dan mentioned that Romania coordinated the joint declaration of the Group of Friends of Cohesion, consisting of 16 states trying to promote their common interests in the negotiations on the future European budget.
The head of state also spoke about Romania's accession to the OECD, stating that it has reached an advanced stage. "We have surpassed or fulfilled all 25 technical or group technical conditions and are awaiting a political decision for integration soon," said Nicușor Dan.
What he says about the future government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The president also addressed the administrative issues of Romanian diplomacy and acknowledged that the planned rotation for this summer could not be carried out. "I regret that we did not succeed, as we would have liked, in completing the rotation this summer. It was a political crisis that exceeded our predictions," said Nicușor Dan.
He hopes that the situation will change with the installation of the future Executive.
"I hope that in the relationship with the future government, whatever it may be, we will manage to find the right position for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," stated the president.
Nicușor Dan pointed out that there are postponed logistical issues, from funding to the situation of Romania's offices abroad, and expects administrative progress in the coming year.
The president also called for better links between diplomacy and the business environment. The EU's new trade agreements open up opportunities in markets such as India, Indonesia, Australia, or Mercosur, and Romanian companies should be helped to take advantage of them.
At the same time, consular services need to be optimized, especially in states with large Romanian communities, Nicușor Dan added.
