Iohannis presented to Romanian diplomats Romania's foreign policy priorities

 President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that there is no place in Romania's foreign policy for "debatable personal experiments, amateurism, diplomatic gaffes."

"The stability and predictability of Romania's foreign policy are essential to our credibility as an external actor. (...) There is no place in Romania's foreign policy for debatable personal experiments, amateurism, diplomatic gaffes, because all these are highly damaging to our national interests and goals, "Iohannis told the heads of missions and Consuls-general gathered at the Cotroceni Place on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Romanian diplomats.

The President said that there hasn't been an improvement in international relations since the previous meeting as risks, threats and challenges are further looming, and that new developments, some of them very concerning, have added to this context, both in Romania's proximity and globally.

The head of the state also underscored the importance of the year 2018 for Romania.

"To us it's an important year from at least two points of view. On the one hand 2018 is the year of the Centennial of Modern Romania, which means that we shouldn't just dwell on retrospective historical analyses but that we should rather focus on projections for the future. On the other hand this is the preparative year for the most important mission Romania will exercise since it acquired EU membership - the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019," Iohannis said. 

He also pointed out that the current risks, threats and challenges require an active, responsible and innovative involvement of the representatives of the Romanian diplomacy, mentioning that they need to take "vigorous and effective action to counter these developments and to find sustainable solutions for Romania's national goals to be achieved and Romanians be better protected."

The President also said that the stability and predictability of Romania's foreign policy are essential to the country's credibility as an external actor. 

"Romania's stability and foreign policy credibility also imply preserving and defending the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and carrying on the fight against corruption at the same standards as so far. It is unacceptable that in the year of the Centennial we take steps back. This requires first of all an increasingly stronger and more resilient Romania, a better performing state where liberal democracy and the rule of law are fully consolidated, with an independent judiciary, a state that acts in the service of all citizens and is able to provide prosperity and security. In my capacity as President I will do my best and everything in my constitutional powers for the accomplishment of this goal," Iohannis said.

According to Iohannis, the Three Seas Initiative Summit due in Bucharest from 17 to 18 September will be crucial for the future of this informal cooperation platform. 

"If the Bucharest Format we launched in 2015 together with Poland has proved its usefulness, the Three Seas Initiative Summit that I will be hosting in only three weeks will be crucial for the future of this informal cooperation platform," Iohannis said.

He added that this summit will have to prove that concrete outcome can be achieved, of a nature to stimulate the region's economic growth, so as to narrow the gap against the Western EU countries. 

"At the same time, the summit should demonstrate that the Initiative is a tool that is stimulating the real convergence, meaning the cohesion inside the EU, being a project that is supporting the strengthening of the Union and at the same time, through the boosting of the US economic interest in the region, an instrument of enhancing the transatlantic relation," Iohannis added.

He pointed out that Romania's position on the peace process, the status of Jerusalem included, is unchanged.

"All the other major lines of action mentioned in the previous years remain in place, whether we speak for instance about the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus or Central Asia and the Middle East, and our positions as regards the peace process - the status of Jerusalem included - Asia, Latin America and Africa stay unchanged," Iohannis told to Romanian diplomats.

The President also urged the Romanian diplomats to keep on working towards the strengthening of partnerships and bilateral strategic relations with countries like Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Japan.

"The Strategic Partnership for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova is further at the forefront of our action in pursuit of reform and rapprochement with the EU, even if this is no easy task," added the head of the state.

Regarding the relations with US, NATO and EU, Iohannis said that the cornerstone of foreign policy remain the same, indicating in this respect the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the United States and increasing the role and efficiency within the EU and NATO.

"The cornerstone of our foreign policy remains the same," Iohannis said, mentioning in this regard the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the United States and increasing the role and efficiency within the EU and NATO.

According to the head of state, pursuing the Strategic Partnership with the USA remains a high priority.

"This triad defines the community of values we are part of and ensures our security and prosperity. That is why Romania must act so as to maintain, concurrently, the intrinsic strategic relevance of these three pillars, as well as the enhancement of Romania's relevance within the three. Thus, pursuing the deepening of the Strategic Partnership with the United States along all of its dimensions, as I decided with President Trump last year, represents a high priority," Klaus Iohannis.

He saluted the United States' enhanced commitment in Europe's security, that of the Eastern Flank of the North-Atlantic alliance, including Romania's and highlighted that the NATO Summit in Brussels was successful for our country.

"As regards Romania's participation within NATO, it should be pointed out that the recent Summit in Brussels was a successful one for Romania. It provided a fresh impetus to the adaptive process of the Alliance to the security environment changes. NATO's defence and deterrence posture has been consolidated, including on the Eastern Flank and in the Black Sea region. The main decisions in this regard, of direct interest for Romania, aimed the consolidation of the multinational Brigade status and the recognition of Romania's offer to host an operational command centre. The Summit confirmed that the Black sea remains a region of interest for the Alliance, according to Romania's strategic interest. The current politic with regard to Russia was also maintained and the efforts to project stability in the Alliance's vicinity, including in the eastern one, were pursued. Last but not least, the continuity of NATO's "open doors" policy was reconfirmed. All these have ensured a comprehensive package, that fully reflected the objectives pursued by Romania," Iohannis showed.

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