Charge d’ Affaires David Muniz said on Friday in Bucharest during this year’s event celebrating U.S. Independence Day that Romania is one of America’s strongest and most dedicated Allies. He pointed out that, even in the current spirit of celebration, “these are anything but times that try our souls”. “Sunshine friendships and alliances collapse under such pressure tests, but real alliances are only re-tempered and strengthened by them. Ours is a very real alliance and friendship, and you…all of us…are its stewards,” Muniz stated.
The U.S. Charge d’Affaires recalled that last Independence Day, the two states marked a decade since the United States and Romania signed the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, while our countries now mark 25 years of declared partnership. “These bellwethers bear testimony to an unshakable alliance between two great nations and peoples; an alliance based upon our common commitments to democracy, a love for liberty, and the sanctity of both rule of law and of the individual. The sacred obligations we share to foster these principles long predate these anniversaries—they even predate our 142 years of diplomatic relations. I have read that as early as the 1750s, decades before independence, Romanians were present in the 13 Colonies and contributing to the land that was to become the United States of America,” Muniz said.
“Until very recently, we could not have foreseen the direction our world was heading in or portended that it would soon be pulled back 80 years into the darkest hours of the last century. Thankfully, our mutual efforts allow us to squarely confront these challenges.
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,” he added.
The American top diplomat asked guests to “look around this evening and see the tangible reminders of what dedicated peoples can achieve in just one century.”
“From the beautiful antique Ford on display and how much it says about our friendship that this iconic American industrial powerhouse now sets production records right here in Romania at its plant, in Craiova, to the banners above you on the building here which depict some of America’s greatest talents and its toughest struggles (…)
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.
Tech incubators, foreign direct investors, and cutting-edge research and development, all of these seek and require clean and reliable energy, which Romania will soon have in abundance. There is also the incalculable boost in confidence that comes from leading the way forward. These steps are going to pay dividends for decades to come, and we could not be happier for our Ally as it reaps these rewards.“
Speaking to the present, David Muniz referred to the security situation. “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”, he underlined.
Muniz also said that at the recent NATO Summit in Madrid, 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. 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.”
The U.S. Charge d’Affaires also praised “Romania’s willingness to render humanitarian aid to its besieged neighbor and its commendable success in countering the scourge of trafficking in persons,” while stating he knows the Romanian people well, as he has lived here for several years. “Their capacity for profound goodness comes as no surprise to me. But I will admit that I was taken aback… and moved…both by the official Romanian response to those fleeing Ukraine, as well as the private response of so many of its citizens. The processing of refugee applications, the delivery of aid, the efforts to streamline work eligibility, and the drive to ensure that a generation of Ukrainian students are not lost are, in a word, “admirable.”
The dedication and compassion shown by Romanians on the street are every bit as inspiring, as those shown by its government and leaders.
All the rides that were provided to the refugees, the selfless acts, the donations and the care that were given just cemented what I and so many already know; this is a great country full of good people. Likewise, the tangible steps Romania has taken against human traffickers, including prosecutions, imprisonments, and extraditions, testify that it takes its obligations seriously. We applaud this effort,” Muniz said.
In his closing remarks, the representative of the American state said that “the United States is proud to call Romania a friend and Ally, and the American people will always cheer this nation’s wins.”
Romanian PM: United States remains Romania’s closest military ally
In his turn, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, attending the Independence Day reception organized by the US Embassy, stated 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 increase the American presence 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 pointed out.
“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”, he added.
The Romanian premier also mentioned the economic cooperation as another pillar of the Partnership with the USA.
“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”, the PM said, while vowing the Romanian Government 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,” PM Ciuca pointed out, also welcoming another recent U.S. decision to allot USD 14 million 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 provide us with the opportunity to contribute to regional and European energy security”, the Romanian PM said. According to Ciuca, Romania and the U.S. have enhance their partnership in the renewable energy sector.
Ciuca also noted 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,” he said.
The head of the Government in Bucharest voiced hope that the progress made in the cooperation between the two countries will further increase in the upcoming years, stressing that “the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States will continue to make a significant positive contribution at bilateral, regional and transatlantic level”.