The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, signed on Friday, in Berlin, together with the State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geza Andreas von Geyr, the Action Plan for a consolidated bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany.
According to a press release from the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), the signing took place in the presence of President Nicusor Dan and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in the context of the official visit paid to Berlin by the head of state on Friday.
The MAE points out that the Action Plan is a concrete framework for intensifying the partnership between the two countries. The Action Plan structures the areas of common strategic importance with the aim of expanding and deepening cooperation in these sectors.
The document establishes mechanisms for intensifying the political-diplomatic dialogue regarding the bilateral agenda, cooperation at EU level, coordination of priority files on strategic, security and multilateral affairs. Among these, a central element is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, support for Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and other partner states in the EU's Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans.
"The Action Plan highlights the importance of cooperation and support within the framework of Romania's accession process to the OECD and refers to the strengthening of cooperation regarding consular affairs, strategic communication and public diplomacy", specifies the cited source.
According to the MAE, cooperation between Romania and Germany in the field of European policies constitutes another central sector, in the spirit of the two countries' commitment to a united, resilient, secure, prosperous and future-oriented European Union.
"Special attention is paid to cooperation in the field of security and defense policies, with an emphasis on the joint contribution to the effort to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense posture and, in particular, on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, as well as cooperation in the field of defense industry, including with regard to coordination within EU and NATO initiatives and instruments," the release reads.
The cited source indicates that the Action Plan highlights the priority of further expanding the current solid economic cooperation, bilateral trade and substantial investments that generate jobs and points out that this aspect is all the more significant as Germany remains Romania's main trading partner, with a trade value of over 42 billion euros in 2024 and a share of over 20% of Romania's total exports, and also represents the first investor in the Romanian economy, according to BNR statistics.
The document also aims to capitalize on opportunities for closer cooperation in areas such as energy transition, transport and connectivity, justice and home affairs, in line with the priorities identified by the relevant ministries of the two countries.
It also aims to further develop the heritage and socio-cultural relations shared by Romania and Germany. A crucial role in this regard is played by both the people belonging to the German minority in Romania and the Romanian community in Germany, which numbered over 900,000 people at the end of 2024, an increase compared to previous years, and which bring a special substance to bilateral relations.
In the field of labor and social affairs, the opportunity to continue in-depth cooperation based on a joint Declaration of Intent between the relevant ministries of Romania and Germany is highlighted. The implementation of bilateral work programs in areas such as social protection, with an emphasis on the protection of mobile workers, is also pursued.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the importance of signing this document is also amplified by the symbolic context, given that this year Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany mark 145 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
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