The Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy

President Klaus Iohannis presented in Bucharest the objectives of Romania’s foreign policy at the meeting with Romania’s general consuls and heads of diplomatic missions abroad on the occasion of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy. He told them that they were in the best capacity to support the trans-Atlantic relation and underlined that Romania also needed to have a unitary approach in its relationship with Russia.

Mihai Pelin, 31.08.2017, 13:49

President Klaus Iohannis presented in Bucharest the objectives of Romania’s foreign policy at the meeting with Romania’s general consuls and heads of diplomatic missions abroad on the occasion of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy. He told them that they were in the best capacity to support the trans-Atlantic relation and underlined that Romania also needed to have a unitary approach in its relationship with Russia.

The challenges and threats from the east as well as the risk from the southern vicinity still exist, Klaus Iohannis reiterated before the representatives of the Romanian diplomacy, whom he asked for rapid, responsible and innovating action in order to counteract those threats, so that Romania’s objectives can be achieved. The Romanian President pointed out that the diplomats also needed to get involved in dealing with the EU’s internal challenges, namely Brexit and the re-launch of the European project.

Klaus Iohannis: “As diplomats, it is important for you to benefit from a special advantage which has to be preserved by all means: that is Romania’s position as a stable state from a political point of view, with an important economic growth, which continues, despite certain periods of stagnation, to strengthen the rule of law. If these issues are the political responsibility of the government and of the majority coalition, preserving the predictability of the foreign policy and security of Romania, a state that can be relied on, is also your responsibility.”

Like in the previous years, deepening the Strategic Partnership with the U.S. remains a priority of Romania’s foreign policy, especially in the context of the visit Klaus Iohannis paid to Washington in June and of the talks he had with President Donald Trump. In another development, Romania needs to actively contribute to the philosophy regarding the future of Europe, said President Iohannis. We need a stronger Europe, closer to its citizens and better positioned in the international context.

Klaus Iohannis: “We need to stand by those member states that act for the consolidation of the Union. The closer we’ll be to these states, the higher the chances for us to have a say in the European decision-making process and to develop. Europe needs a higher capacity to adjust in order to be able to overcome the current challenges. The instruments for this adjustment should be designed in such a way as to avoid an increasing gap between member states.”

According to the Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, preparing the Centennial of the Great Union, the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council in 2019, Romania’s candidacy for a seat as Non-Permanent member of the UN Security Council and for OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) membership, were the main priorities of the Romanian diplomats.