President Traian Basescu stated on Saturday that Romania must strengthen its strategic role in ensuring regional stability both in the interest of its own national security and as a contribution to NATO and EU security. Bucharest, Jan 8, 2005
President Traian Basescu pleads for strengthening Romania's strategic role in ensuring regional stability
President Traian Basescu stated on Saturday that Romania must strengthen its strategic role in ensuring regional stability both in the interest of its own national security and as a contribution to NATO and EU security.
“I think that it’s time to get out of the already classical framework of the Romanian foreign policy on two pillars, meaning NATO and EU, although the EU accession process will continue to be a priority. In the same time, we have to underline the capacities of the Romanian Foreign Policy and to assign Romania’s role in regional stability. It’s a role that Romania can and must play for its national interest and in the interest of our allies”, said the Romanian President.
President Basescu made this statement after a meeting with a delegation of staffers of the US Congress, who visited Romania in order to assess the developments in the Black Sea area. The visit in Romania was organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States together with the Embassy of Romania in Washington DC.
The Romanian Ambassador to Washington, Sorin Ducaru, and the Ambassador of the United States to Romania, Jack Dyer Crouch, also attended the meeting with President Traian Basescu.
At the moment, because of the European Union and NATO enlargement to the East, the Black Sea became a strategic area, connecting the transatlantic community to the Middle East, the ex-Soviet space and Russia, emphasized the President of Romania.
"As a NATO member and a future EU member, Romania will assume an important role together with its NATO allies, Turkey and Bulgaria, in solving the Black Sea issues. I want Romania to become a country which generates stability in the area," said Traian Basescu.
President Basescu mentioned that Romania’s foreign policy objectives in the Black Sea area are priorities of the current administration, a goal that must consolidate Romania’s position in the structures it belongs to and to contribute not only to the democracy but also to the stability of the entire region.