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ForMin Melescanu about the Romania's foreign policy priorities
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Monday, at the Annual Reunion of Romanian Diplomatic Corps, that the strategic partnership between Romania and the US is "a fundamental" of Romania's foreign policy.
"The strategic partnership with the US is a fundamental of our foreign policy. We strongly believe that many of the global issues will find appropriate solutions through a solid and, open transatlantic relationship based on the knowledge of the fundamental common interests in peace and stability of the world order. More open, pragmatic dialogue is needed for a thorough understanding of the objectives and priorities of each party," Melescanu said at the annual meeting of the Romanian diplomacy.
According to the minister, Romania is one of the NATO allies that have actively contributed to the implementation of NATO's policies and decisions. "In 2017, Romania recorded one of the largest increases in defence spending in the North Atlantic Alliance and we will continue to allocate 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to this area in the years to come," said Melescanu.
At the same time, he mentioned that Romania is to host a summit of the Three Seas Initiative.
"Another positive theme that enjoys internal consensus, recently placed on the transatlantic agenda, mainly as a result of Romania's efforts, is the Three Seas Initiative. Romania will soon host the summit and the first business forum of the initiative, with a wish to foster and capitalise on the potential for economic growth and development of Central and Eastern Europe through more interconnectivity," Melescanu said.
He stressed that "bilateral relations are at the foundation of diplomacy," and in 2019 "consistent developments" are being prepared regarding Romania's partnerships with France, the UK and Germany.
"We are proposing (...) the further development of the special strategic partnerships with Poland, Italy, Spain and Turkey. We intend to maintain close ties with the member states of our presidency trio, Finland and Croatia, but also with Austria and with member states that have previously assumed the presidency of the EU Council," said Melescanu.
According to him, Romania's dialogue with China "must remain firm and well-placed in the larger issue of global interconnectivity."
"South Korea, Japan, India, Brazil, Canada are just a few of the relationships that we have to additionally boost."
Romania "will continue to deepen relations with strategic valences with Israel by expanding the areas of co-operation while enhancing relations with countries in the region as a whole," added Melescanu.
"The political, commercial and investment ties with the Gulf states will be strengthened. Romania will further engage in the Middle East crisis settlement process, starting from respect for international law and the provisions of UN resolutions on the matter," said Melescanu.
The minister pointed out that in 2019 Romania assumes the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, which will be "a real test of our European vocation". "I think we can contribute to restoring citizens' trust in Europe and in the European design," Melescanu pointed out.
He added that Romania's foreign affairs and diplomacy can and have the duty to continue to work as "a fundamental binder of the society."
"Unfortunately, we are currently dealing with a fluid global context, during a time of both open and hidden challenges, of fundamental repositioning, while the final configuration is very difficult to grasp and anticipate. The conflict zones have multiplied, the latent or frozen conflicts have gotten worse, instability and the conflict potential persist. We have been witnessing unseen attacks against international norms and multilateralism even in our vicinity. We are also dealing with (...) hybrid threats and a much more subtle instrument, with a proven efficiency, which erodes the resorts of the occidental society. In this context, and while thinking of the global trends that are being shaped right now, I can say with all the responsibility that we cannot afford to be divided as institutions, as foreign projection and as a society. Our foreign affairs and diplomacy can and have the duty to continue to work as a binder, a fundamental binder of the society and one of the engines of modernization, development and European and international affirmation of Romania," stated Melescanu, at the annual Meeting of the Romanian diplomacy.
Moreover, the Minister of Foreign Affairs specified that reform, modernization and development of the country were only possible as a result of the consensus of the entire political class on the objectives of Romania's integration with the NATO and the European Union.
"It was a consensus that was also rooted in the large support of the Romanian citizens. 15 years have passed since our integration with NATO and more than 10 years since we have become a member of the European Union. Romania has reached its historic objectives and benefits from a security and prosperity level unseen before," said Melescanu.
He also stated that the resources allotted to Romania's foreign affairs and diplomacy dimension are matching the level offered by our economy.
"We now have 171 diplomatic and consular offices, we helped develop the staff and we received a significant number of diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without reaching, however, the level of personnel that we had before the massive cut of 2010. The increasing needs, which also require a major involvement of our diplomacy in knowing the power and influence sources are increasingly more diverse and more sophisticated and its Romanian diplomacy's task to identify these sources in the accredited states, in order to have a deep understanding of the best options in terms of our country's reaction and Romania's adaptation to the new context and, especially, starting from the idea of the promotion of the national interests," said Melescanu.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to a great extent, the citizens do not know in detail what the Romanian diplomacy is doing and they "rely on perceptions, which are many times subjective."
"Communication between the diplomatic missions and the consular offices and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have to be one of the priority topics in your activity," Melescanu told the Romanian diplomats participants in the event.