Opening Remarks 

By 

H.E. Adrian Nastase, Prime Minister of Romania 

At the

Bucharest Summit 2002: “The Spring of New Allies” 

- March 25-26, 2002 -

President Kwasniewski, President Iliescu, Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Prime Ministers and Honored Guests,

It is a distinct pleasure to greet you in Romania, at a summit about solidarity and cooperation across the Euro-Atlantic space. Our timing could not have been better: the spring in Bucharest coincides with a time of renewed hope for Europe’s new democracies as we work towards the common goal of joining a great Alliance of freedom and peace.

I am very pleased that “the journey to Prague” of the NATO aspirant countries engaged in the Vilnius process has a stop in Bucharest. Romania has proudly taken part, for almost two years, in this joint endeavor of hard work and cooperation towards NATO membership. The spirit of solidarity and collaboration that guided us has showed that, although unbound by treaties or formal protocols, we could act as “de facto” allies.

Our recent Summit in Sofia was a war summit. We wanted to show not only political solidarity, but also action against the scourge of terrorism, and prove that we do not only share the same values with the NATO allies, but we can also defend them. We discussed how best we could contribute, as NATO aspirant countries, to the international coalition against terrorism. I want to take this opportunity to thank our Bulgarian friends and my dear friend Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha for their fortitude and seriousness of purpose in hosting this summit in scant weeks after the tragic events of September 11th. As a result of their courage, five months after Sofia, we have all taken action to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, share intelligence, freeze financial assets, and enhance border control. As NATO Secretary General, Lord George Robertson, said in Sofia, our political, moral, and practical support “reinforced anew the logic of enlargement”.

NATO has deepened and intensified the dialogue with all candidate countries, in order to focus and enhance our preparations. In February and March, NATO and US delegations have visited us for in-depth, thorough and extremely useful dialogue on how to be best prepared for NATO membership. The Bucharest summit will prove our determination to make one hundred percent effort to make solid and substantial progress before the Prague Summit and in the years beyond.

Performance Matters

Our principle of indisputable performance, embedded in the Vilnius process, has already been reflected in systematic actions of our countries to implement the Membership Action Plan, modernize the militaries and consolidate democracy and rule of law. For Romania, bringing a qualitative change of the armed forces, through downsizing, restructuring and doubling military spending per soldier have been critical. Now we put great emphasis on improving airport infrastructure, command control systems and Air Force capabilities. Mindful that none of these targets can be attained without resources, I want to stress that 2 to 2.5 % of our GDP will go to the military budget for the next 5 years. In saying this, I am confident that the growth of the Romanian economy of the last two years will further continue, which will increase our military resources in absolute terms as well.

As NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson pointed out at the November 2001 Sofia Summit of NATO candidate countries, there is no better insurance against terrorism than enlarging NATO with stable, democratic states. Lord Robertson correctly pointed out that societies based on the rule of law necessarily share the values that bind destiny and security of North America and Europe. Further strengthening the institutions of democracy and rule of law has been a priority for all of us. In Romania, the party that I lead renewed in January this year its Cooperation Protocol with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, a political framework for advancing reforms and Romania’s Euro-Atlantic integration. I personally supported the adoption of a Governmental ordinance banning all symbols associated with anti-Semitism or with the cult of personalities who committed crimes against peace and humanity. I also had the opportunity to inaugurate, on March 18, the course on Holocaust history at the National Defense College, meant to deepen understanding that the Holocaust affected an important part of the Jewish population in Romania as well. In the same vein of combating any type of crime against human life and dignity, a law against human trafficking and a Plan of Action to curb modern slavery have been enforced. We are also working to open an Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office to focus solely on governmental corruption. On January 24 this year the Government took the decision to conduct governmental procurement by electronic means, thereby improving transparency and protecting the integrity of the process.

It is clear to all the Vilnius democracies that it is in our power to succeed or fail at the challenge of integrating our countries into the institutions of the West. Romania will focus its preparations before Prague on economic reform, improving the business climate, intensifying anti-corruption actions and enhancing law enforcement capabilities, strengthening mechanisms for protection of classified information and accomplishing the objectives of the third cycle of MAP. Irrespective of the enlargement format in Prague, our work will continue beyond the Summit until our reform goals are fulfilled.

Contribution to Euro-Atlantic Security

We all have also understood what US Ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns, recently reemphasized, that “with NATO membership comes major responsibilities”, and that “new members must not only be consumers of security, but producers as well”.

Becoming security providers has been a crucial objective for all countries aspiring to NATO membership. We are as committed as Turkey, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary were to prove our commitment to assume the responsibilities of a NATO member. Europe’s new democracies, including my country, have already acted as “de facto” allies in the fight against terrorism. We understood the brutal attacks of September 11 as attacks against all freedom-loving nations and felt compelled by human solidarity to offer not only compassion, but also our concrete support in the war against terrorism.

We have opened our airspace, airfields and port facilities to Allied forces. We have volunteered to provide additional forces to support NATO Forces deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo and we now take part in the International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan. 48 Romanian military are on the ground in the Central and Southern parts of Kabul and we are committed to continue to upgrade our participation beyond June. At the excellent initiative of President Kwasniewski, all candidate countries took part at the conference in Warsaw and endorsed an Action Plan meant to enhance the Central and East European dimension of the international fight against terrorism. In my view, a new alliance emerged from September 11th when the 19 NATO allies and 10 new democracies as de facto allies came together for a shared purpose.

For Romania, this came not by conjecture, but from a firm commitment to promote security and cooperation in our region and worldwide. During the last decade, 7,000 Romanian soldiers participated in international missions to maintain peace and stability in Kuwait, Rwanda, Somalia, Angola, Albania, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

Of course, we have put great emphasis on our region. We have joined SFOR and KFOR to help build peaceful, stable and integrated Western Balkans and will increase our participation in these forces to 330 soldiers. Representatives of our growing Romanian civil society contributed to the development of the democratic opposition in Former Yugoslavia. We are at peace with our neighbors and promote cooperation beyond our immediate borders. In February this year we celebrated 5 years of successful and active partnership with Hungary by which minority issues are dealt with at European standards. We have supported integration of the Republic of Moldova in the regional and European fore and will continue to do so. Last year we launched the “Partnership for Europe” with Ukraine and resumed negotiations for a political treaty with Russia as part of seeking a normal, constructive relationship between our two countries.

Here, in this part of Europe, we are aware of the legacy of a tumultuous past, but we also believe in our power to transform the logic of rivalry into regional cooperation and good neighborliness. Military cooperation through the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Southeastern Europe, the joint fight against trans-border crime within the SECI Regional Center headquartered in this very building, and political collaboration within the Southeastern Europe Cooperative Process are regional success stories. The Southeastern Europe Brigade, operational since May 2001, is an example of how Southeastern European countries can contribute militarily to building lasting peace and stability in the region. As we speak, the SECI Center debates further actions against human trafficking, having already been successful in dismantling regional trafficking networks and conducting more that 3,000 information exchanges during 2001, related to human and drug trafficking, customs, commercial and financial frauds and also terrorism.

Solidarity

Dear friends,

The most valuable contribution that we can make to NATO is the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that emerged two years ago in Vilnius and our experience in countering the threats of the new century. There is a spirit among the new democracies and prospective allies that defies the ghosts of the last century and opens the path towards a Europe whole and free.

On February 13, 2002, the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, together with their colleagues from Romania and Bulgaria, jointly endorsed the vision on NATO enlargement expressed by the US President George W. Bush in his speech in Warsaw in June 2001, and stressed the need for a geographically balanced enlargement of NATO. They also underlined that one of the central aims of the enlargement should be to extent the zone of stability and security to Southeastern Europe. NATO’s enlargement towards this region will strengthen the military capabilities of the Alliance and enhance its ability to counter terrorism as well as illegal migration, and trafficking in drugs, arms and human beings. As the ministers said, “enlargement of NATO towards Southeastern Europe will ensure peace, security and stability in the Balkans, and will add a strategic depth to the Alliance in this part of Europe”. The participation at the Summit of Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Bulent Ecevit, further boosts our joint efforts. Mr. Prime Minister, it is a great pleasure and honor to have you here.

Two weeks ago when I had the pleasure to host Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Simeon Saxe – Coburg Gotha in Bucharest, we agreed to deepen our cooperation and dialogue in order to reinforce our preparations for Euro-Atlantic integration. Let me also tell you that our efforts are not confined to the goal of reaching Western integration. They are also meant to prove that cooperation and stability are possible in the Balkans. Our success would set up a model for the Western Balkans. With this in mind, both our countries are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with Greece and Turkey when we meet again in Athens on March 29, and hope other allies of the southern flank of NATO will join us in promoting a Southern dimension of NATO enlargement at the Prague Summit to complement the fine work that has been done in the Northern dimensions of European security.

The support of the newest members of NATO is also extremely valuable and encouraging. I was very pleased by the recent endorsement, by the Foreign Minister of Hungary, Iános Martonyi, of a robust enlargement in Prague. At the Vilnius Group Summit in Bratislava, in May 2001, I was profoundly moved by President Havel’s message that all NATO aspirants are credible candidates and that the forthcoming NATO Summit in 2002 could well be the final step in dismantling the Iron Curtain. Thank you, Prime Minister Zeman and Foreign Minister Martonyi, for honoring us with your presence, which further strengthens the Vilnius spirit. I also recall with great pleasure President Kwasniewski’s generous words when greeting President Bush in Warsaw last year in June. Mr. President, it is a great honor and pleasure to have you among us. Now, as in June 2001, we appreciate Poland’s determination to uphold the chance of all new Europe’s democracies, including those in Southeastern Europe, to become part of the Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Dear friends,

As this is our last meeting prior to the North Atlantic Council in Reykjavik, we have to emphasize that we are indeed a “spring of new allies”, determined to further enhance our efforts and cooperation to meet the challenges of the new century. When the NATO Foreign Ministers meet in Iceland to discuss the new relationship with Russia and the future of NATO, they need to recognize that a large and balanced enlargement of the Alliance is part of a solution to the challenges of the 21st century. Willing to contribute to the broader NATO agenda, the Vilnius group countries have also begun to reflect on the role of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, following a proposal presented by Romania.

After starting in Vilnius, our common journey to Prague has discovered value in all the regions with candidate countries, from the shores of the Baltic, to Central and Southeastern Europe, and the Black Sea. Our journey will come full circle in Riga this July. This round trip highlights even more the cohesion among the new democracies of Europe. Our last meeting in Latvia should indeed be a bridge to Prague and beyond.

I am looking forward to the next two days and to intensive personal discussions. I also encourage you to discover the beauty of the spring in Bucharest and the hospitality of a normal and life-loving Romania. And it is my distinct pleasure and high honor to introduce the President of Romania, His Excellency Ion Iliescu.