Mr. Ambassador:

It is with great pleasure that I accept your Letter of Credence, which establishes you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the United States.  I acknowledge receipt of the Letter of Recall of your predecessor, Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, who was exceptional in representing Romania in the United States.  I extend to you and your family a warm welcome and I look forward to working closely with you to deepen the already close relations between our countries.

Romania and the United States historically have enjoyed close ties.  Benjamin Franklin met with a Romanian who visited Philadelphia in the 18th century.  Romanian officers served valiantly with the Union Army during our Civil War.  Our countries were allies in the First World War. America never forgot the Romanian people, even in the darkest days of the Cold War.

A truly strong relationship between Romania and the United States began in the nineties, after the fall of the Ceausescu regime.  The United States wholeheartedly supported Romania's drive to join the Euro-Atlantic Community.  Your country undertook necessary democratic, judicial, and economic reforms and earned a place in both NATO and the European Union.  Those are truly singular deeds.  As allies and partners, we have much work ahead.  Romanian troops have already demonstrated their bravery and skill in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and in bringing stability to the western Balkans.  Romania stands as an example for other countries in Europe and beyond that aspire to join the widening community of successful democracies, committed to the spread of freedom and economic prosperity.

I vividly remember my visit to Bucharest in 2002, where tens of thousands of people filled Revolution Square, and a rainbow appeared.  I look forward to returning to Bucharest this spring for the 2008 NATO Bucharest Summit.  I am sure Romania will host a successful Summit, at a crucial time for the Alliance, a Summit which will underscore our shared vision of a single Europe, secure, and at peace, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Over the next few years, my hope is that you will work to make even closer the already warm ties between our nations.  The United States and Romania share many goals and we have no better friend and partner than Romania.

It is a pleasure to welcome you to Washington.