US Support for Romania

The US will remain a strong ally, partner and friend to Romania, said the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm.

Daniela Budu, 21.12.2015, 15:03

Washington will remain a strong ally, partner and friend to Romania, said the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, during the first interview he gave to a Romanian TV station since his arrival in Bucharest. He also stressed the United States’ intention to fully support president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and his government.

Talking about the 1989 Revolution, Klemm said that Romania and its courage to put an end to the Communist regime were supported by the international community. He also said that the developments that have occurred in Romania after December 1989 are very positive. “Romania is now a member of NATO, enjoys a very strong strategic partnership with the US, a partnership that I’m committed to further, consolidate and expand”, Klemm also said. However, according to the US Ambassador, Romania still has obstacles it needs to overcome in order to further strengthen its role in the international affairs. The first goal is that Romania needs to find a way to sustainable growth of its economy, and the obstacle here is corruption. The US has very strongly supported Romania’s fight against corruption, and significant work in that direction has been accomplished in the past year, said Klemm, as prosecutors have benefited from the necessary resources and measures have been taken to ensure an independent judiciary and full observance of the rule of law.

Another obstacle to sustainable growth, the US Ambassador said, is infrastructure, and there is much work to be done in order to fully connect Romania’s road, rail and energy infrastructure with the rest of Europe. According to Klemm, the efficient use of the resources made available in Romania through the European Union funds is critical.

Talking about Romanian and foreign business people, Ambassador Klemm stressed that another field that deserves attention is the public administration, to ensure that Romanian public service is efficient, responsive and transparent in the use of the resources made available from the Romanian tax payers as well as from the EU in the most effective way possible.

(Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu; Edited by Diana Vijeu)