Premium
President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace the United States Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, in which context the US official underscored the importance of Romania staying a predictable, stable and responsible ally, which respects and promotes the democratic values and the rule of law and in which corruption is firmly countered.
"The US official also highlighted the importance of Romania staying a predictable, stable and responsible ally, which respects and promotes the democratic values and the rule of law and in which corruption is firmly countered and voiced the United States' special appreciation and powerful support for President Klaus Iohannis' efforts and determination in this respect," reads a Presidential Administration release.
On the occasion of the meeting, President Iohannis reiterated Romania's and his own consistent commitment to deepen the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US, at the same time underscoring its excellence, consistency and dynamics.
He gave guarantees that one of Romania's key priorities in foreign policies remains the strengthening the transatlantic relation, from the position of strongly devoted state both to the European project and to the Strategic Partnership with the US.
In this respect, Romania's President stressed that the EU Council Presidency, exercised by Romania, represents a special opportunity, including for the promotion and consolidation of the transatlantic partnership.
In this context, President Klaus Iohannis underscored that the transatlantic relation is important both to the common security and prosperity of the EU and US, at the same time being NATO's fundamental and cohesive element, as well as for the set of essential democratic values of the western community we belong together, the Presidential Administration says.
At the meeting, President Iohannis reiterated Romania's firm and clear commitment to act as security and stability supplier in the region and for the fair burden sharing inside NATO, by continuing to implement the measure to allot 2 percent of the GDP to defence expenditure, with an important role in achieving the transatlantic cohesion.
Iohannis pleaded for the further consolidation of NATO, as well as for strengthening the eastern flank, the cohesion of which is very important, including in the context of the recent security developments in the Black Sea area.
United States Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale voiced the US' special gratitude and appreciation for the Romanian-US friendship and for the solidity of the Strategic Partnership with Romania, which is a trustworthy ally of the US in NATO, including for the very good relation between President Klaus Iohannis and President Donald Trump.
The US official thanked for the bilateral cooperation in security and for the manner in which Romania meets its commitments made in an allied framework, mentioning, among others, the contributions in Afghanistan and Iraq, the presence of Romanian servicemen in the north of NATO's eastern flank, in Poland, as well as the example Romania gives inside the alliance through the 2 percent of the GDP allotment to defence expenditure.
Moreover, Hale confirmed the importance the US grants to the transatlantic relation and NATO's strengthening, particularly in the current security context, and underscored the need to strengthen the resilience of the EU and NATO states to the current security challenges, mostly the hybrid ones.
An opinion exchange on other interest topics on the international and regional agenda also took place, with a focus on energy security, underscoring the very important role Romania plays in the region to diminish energy dependency, the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Peace Process in the Middle East.
