U.S. Ambassador interview: Without stability, rule of law nothing happens; economically strong Romania, best partner

Until we've had stability and the rule of law nothing can happen or will not happen, and the United States of America want to have Romania as an independent and strong economic partner, new Ambassador of the United States of America in Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman told AGERPRES in an interview.

Adrian Zuckerman approaches during the interview the prospects of the bilateral cooperation, as well as his own experience related to Romania. Born in Bucharest, Zuckerman has built a carrier in the U.S. and speaks about the manner in which he perceives Romania's evolution, from communism to rule of law and democracy.

"We actually left Romania when I was nine years old and we moved to Italy and we lived in Italy for nine months or so, until May of 1966, when we moved to the US, to New Haven, Connecticut. Both of my parents were doctors, physicians, and we started a new life in New Haven in the United States," the new ambassador says.

He underscores the experience of a totalitarian regime cannot be fully conveyed to those who hadn't experienced such events.

"People that have not experienced the misery and the hardship and the disastrous conditions caused by a communist regime cannot fully or properly appreciate what it is like to have such a regime in control of a country. My family and I have experienced it, many emigres from Romania in the United States understand that and they all ask me to explain that to various people in America and others who have not experienced that," Adrian Zuckerman confesses.

The U.S. Ambassador voices his appreciation for the progress of the country over the past 30 years and highlights that "until we've had stability and the rule of law nothing can happen or will not happen."


AGERPRES: Your Excellency, you being appointed as an ambassador of the U.S. to Romania is kind of coming back home, to the country you were born in. Your official biography says that you left Romania when you were ten. Can you tell me a few details about you leaving Romania and settling into a different country?

Adrian Zuckerman: We actually left Romania when I was nine years old and we moved to Italy and we lived in Italy for nine months or so, until May of 1966, when we moved to the US, to New Haven, Connecticut. Both of my parents were doctors, physicians, and we started a new life in New Haven in the United States. Before we talk more about that I just want to say what a great honor it is for me to have President Trump appoint me as ambassador to Romania and to the Senate, I want to thank them for confirming me, I am very grateful, as ambassador to Romania. And also what a pleasure it has been for me in the last several days since I arrived on Saturday to have the privilege of working with just an amazing group of people at the U.S. Embassy. They're just fantastic. And especially my deputy chief of mission Abby Rupp, who's spectacular.

Also, I've had the honor in the last few days to meet with the Romanian Foreign Minister, Aurescu, we had a wonderful meeting Saturday afternoon. I also met with President Iohannis yesterday [Tuesday]. We had a wonderful meeting and very positive meeting. And yesterday afternoon, after that, I had the privilege to meet with Prime Minister Orban and we had a very positive and fruitful meeting that hopefully will lay the foundation for a lot of the challenges and work we intend to help the President and the Prime Minister undertake in the coming months and years.

AGERPRES: During the hearings you had before being appointed ambassador you talked about the fact that you wanted to make efforts into supporting the rule of law in Romania. Ambassadors' discourses regarding the rule of law in Romania are sort of seen as controversial because there are challenges about that. What are the biggest challenges when it comes to U.S. Ambassador talking about the rule of law in Romania?

Adrian Zuckerman: I don't think the challenges are talking about the rule of law, I think the challenges are implementing the rule of law. I think Romania is a magnificent country, a beautiful country and a country that has a potential that is absolutely immense. It is a miracle to me that Romania and the Romanian people were able to shed the communist regime 30 years ago. I never thought I would see that happen in my lifetime. The advances made in the last 30 years are just tremendous, absolutely tremendous. I think the country and the people have achieved an awful lot. Many people do not understand the ravages of communism upon this country. They do not understand the damage that was inflicted upon the civil institutions, the business institutions, the government institutions and when the communist regime fell and a democracy was created they did not start at ground level. The Romanian people started below ground level as a result of the damage inflicted by the communist regime. So to achieve the tremendous achievements that they have made so far, to me is wonderful. That does not mean there's not a lot more that can be achieved.

There is a lot more that can be achieved, and in order to get beyond where we currently are, an independent judiciary and a rule of law have to be implemented so that everybody is treated fairly and legally, and foreign investment is accommodated to truly make Romania great again. (...) A lot of that is due to a variety of issues that can be addressed by the applicability of the rule of law. And that applies across the board to all economic actors: rendering health services, oil and mineral extraction, forestry products - where you have had issues with illegal logging, industrial production and foreign companies' coming to Romania to invest and until we've had stability and the rule of law that cannot happen or will not happen. Where many people have criticized Romania and I think Romanians take issue with it is to be negative. I think it has to be kept in perspective. I think the tremendous achievements of the Romanian people have to be considered before any criticism being levied against them. But not withstanding that, we have to apply the rule of law and an independent judiciary to move forward.

AGERPRES: In your first meetings with Romanian high officials you are quoted as talking firstly about the issues that were discussed by President Iohannis with President Trump at their meeting in the U.S. this year, which are mostly 5G and the energy security of the region. What are the challenges here?

Adrian Zuckerman: Well, 5G and energy security is paramount to the region. I think that President Trump and President Iohannis both agree of the import of Romania as a very close ally of the US and as a strategic partner and both are trying to approve the bilateral agreement. I think it is important, as a strategic ally, to be very wary of the potential dangers of the Chinese 5G technology and it is similarly important to be wary of a variety of energy considerations like the development nuclear technology with communist Chinese influence, especially in this 30th commemoration of the fall of the communist regime. I think both leaders are equally cognizant of that and are aligned in trying to keep Romania as a strong ally of the United States and as a member of NATO and as a member of the European community, of the EU.

AGERPRES: You are also quoted talking about the military cooperation between Romania and the U.S. In the public discourse there were talks about enhancing the U.S. military presence in Romania. What are the first discussions you had on this?

Adrian Zuckerman: Military cooperation between the U.S. and Romania is very significant and a very important issue in the bilateral relations between the two countries. Having said that, one of the issues which is important to the U.S. is to have Romania as an independent and strong economic partner. An economically strong Romania is the best partner the U.S. can have and it would be a strong military ally as a result of that and that's the course that we will be pursuing with President Iohannis and Prime Minister Orban, so that it can address all the military considerations that is necessary to protect Romania and protect its interest in the Black Sea and on land.

AGERPRES: The challenges regarding the economic cooperation between Romania and the U.S. What do you see as challenges? Because the U.S. is over there and Romania is here...

Adrian Zuckerman: I hate saying this, but I see no challenges. I think that the Romanian people and the American people are united in a common interest and I think they are closely allied philosophically, and the United States has been and will continue to be a very strong and energetic supporter of the Romanian people. So I certainly hope there are no challenges to that.

AGERPRES: Going back to your appointment as an ambassador, I read your biography on the State Department website, and it said that you visited Romania and you have a close knowledge about Romania. Could you talk about that?

Adrian Zuckerman: I was born here, we left in 1965, but I visited here about nine or ten years ago, with my daughter. We had a wonderful trip, I think Romania is a beautiful country, I think the people of Romania are some of the nicest, friendliest people my daughter and I have met. And it's really an honour for me to have been appointed by President Trump as his Ambassador here, and it has also been an amazing experience for me in the last few days to be so warmly welcomed not just by the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, but also by the various people I have met in Romania, so I thank the Romanian people for that.

AGERPRES: At the beginning of the interview you were talking about the nuances that you see in Romania becoming a state that has the rule of law. Was it difficult for you to explain this to Americans, the way Romania evolved in terms of the rule of law and in terms of democracy? Because the U.S. has always been a democracy.

Adrian Zuckerman: I think that freedom is not cheap, and I think that it's easy for me to explain it, but sometimes people that have not experienced the misery and the hardship and the disastrous conditions caused by a communist regime cannot fully or properly appreciate what it is like to have such a regime in control of a country. My family and I have experienced it, many emigres from Romania in the United States understand that and they all ask me to explain that to various people in America and others who have not experienced that. I think it is difficult for somebody who has not seen the horrors of a communist regime to really appreciate how terrible it is, so that they cannot properly evaluate it, regardless what explanations you may give. So I think that's one of the issues. But when I explain it to people, I think most people I have spoken to appreciate and try to understand what it's like, or what it was like. And Romania is certainly not like that anymore, it has evolved dramatically and, as I said before, there's a tremendous progress, and I believe that President Iohannis and Prime Minister Orban are poised to make tremendous progress moving forward.

AGERPRES: One of your first public appearances will be on December 20th in Timisoara, at an event commemorating 30 years after the Romanian Revolution. Could you talk a little bit about that?

Adrian Zuckerman: I am very flattered that we were invited to appear in Timisoara. I believe Prime Minister Orban will be there as well. We were invited by the mayor and other local dignitaries and it is very important the day for me personally. As you know the Revolution that overthrew the communist regime started in Timisoara the beginning of this week on the 16th of December and ended, some may say, even this Friday, on the 20th [December], some may say a few days later, when the former communist leader Ceausescu was tried, but Friday nominally marks the end of the Revolution period, when the communist regime was overthrown. So it's an important day for me personally, and I am grateful we were asked to attend. I know President Trump is cognizant of this fact, I think he appreciates the Romanian people having sacrificed so much and, as you may know, he has given a few comments on a plaque that will be placed on the Communism Museum that will celebrate the fall of communism in Timisoara, where he marks his respect for the people that lost their lives in overthrowing the communist regime and fighting for freedom.

AGERPRES: Do you remember what you were doing when you found out about the Revolution of 1989? How did you find out about it? You were in the U.S. I suppose.

Adrian Zuckerman: I was in the U.S. That's an interesting question. I think, like most people, unfortunately, the Revolution in Romania came later than the fall of the Berlin Wall, it came later than the overthrow of the communist regimes in adjoining Eastern European countries, and, unfortunately, as President Iohannis remarked this past Monday night, from Timisoara, not all the communists-related people have been removed from various positions in Romania. So there is work to be done, we will work at the core of government to advance these positions, as Romania is a very important and strategic ally for the United States, and President Iohannis and President Trump have developed a very close and very positive relationship.

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Adrian Zuckerman began his tenure as Ambassador of the Unites States to Romania on December 14. He is a prominent New York attorney, and, before being appointed, had been an equity partner in the real estate practice of the international law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He also acted as the chair of a New York City civil court judicial screening panel and as an arbitrator for the Real Estate Board of New York.

Zuckerman was born in Bucharest, and his family emigrated to the United States when he was nine.

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