The systemic competition for global domination, of a social, economic and other nature, is, in fact, a competition of ideas and Romania's voice must be stronger, more ambitious, more professional, declared the president of the Aspen Institute Romania, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana.
Geoana participates as the main host at the 14th edition of Aspen - GMF Bucharest Forum, an event organized by the Aspen Institute Romania, in partnership with The German Marshall Fund of the United States and Aspen Institute Romania - Chisinau Office, under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
"Foreign policy and what happens at the national level must take technology into account, but technology is not something exotic that you have to quantify in the value of GDP. It is something that we have to care about at an intrinsic level, because otherwise you will be left behind. Unfortunately, Europe is in a rather precarious situation when it comes to advanced technologies and we have to deal with this problem together, as Europeans. I have pleaded not only to stop thinking and acting fragmentedly, but also to think not only from a single and regional or national perspective. The West is no longer what it was 75 years ago or 30 years ago or 500 years ago, when China decided to get out and separate itself from global affairs. That is precisely why, here in Bucharest, we listen with modesty and interest not only to the voice of our partners ours and our normal and natural allies in NATO, it is something in our DNA, it is something that Romania has committed to respecting unwaveringly.
We have preserved these values, but we must also listen to what our friends from Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus, the Middle East, the Western Balkans tell us," said Mircea Geoana, according to the translation provided by the organizers.
In this context, he highlighted the role of the Bucharest forum as a platform for finding common solutions at the regional level.
"There is still a lot to do, here, around Romania and our forum is a platform, because we are trying to listen and see how we can build a future together. I believe that Romania has a multi-regional role and I am convinced that both the current leadership of our country, but also the leadership of our neighbors will take this into account. And the most beautiful part that the Aspen Institute and our Aspen family are dealing with is the following: we need to make sure that our young generation of leaders from the private sector, public sector, civil society and from the entire country, but also from other countries, come together and gain a voice and have a say in this type of deliberations", Geoana underlined.
The systemic competition for global domination, of a social, economic and other nature, is, in fact, a competition of ideas, added the president of the Aspen Institute Romania.
"A competition related to how we can organize the new society and how we can prepare for new technologies, how we can deal with tragedies, such as the war in Ukraine, or how we can deal with the realignment of the global order, how we can deal with shocks and changes. So I am proud and privileged to have you with me here, in Bucharest, where we give birth to ideas, where we imagine the future and where we think about creating a better future for all of us. It is, perhaps, also the moment to assume a role for Romania in Europe and in the world, because Romania's voice should be stronger, more ambitious, more professional," Geoana said.
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