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The development of the Strategic Partnership with the United States of America on all its cooperation dimensions has become a priority for Romania, says Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in a statement marking the 25th anniversary, on Monday, of the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA.
"Initiated on July 11, 1997, on the occasion of the visit to Bucharest of US President William J. Clinton, the Strategic Partnership represents an essential landmark of Romania's foreign policy, alongside the European Union and NATO membership. The Strategic Partnership with the United States marks the beginning of the consecration of Romania's Western orientation and its integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Our parents and grandparents lived with the stories and the expectation of the Americans' arrival in Romania in order to free us from the Russian-Soviet occupation. A regime foreign to Romania dominated our country for 45 years after the Second World War, and brought a lot of suffering and a lot of alteration to the Romanian society. The Strategic Partnership with the United States was intended to be a symbol of the fact that Romania was not forgotten in the first wave of NATO's enlargement and that its decisive step and security guarantees will come," says Nicolae Ciuca.
He points out that the Strategic Partnership has also been an effective tool for strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as the promotion of transatlantic values, defense and security, economy and trade, energy, education.
"The development of the Strategic Partnership on all its cooperation dimensions has become a priority for Romania. All the more understandable today when, after the NATO Summit in Madrid, perhaps not coincidentally 25 years later, the United States is the main contributor to Allied common security and defense in Romania. Alongside France, which has assumed the responsibility of framework nation for the Battle Group in our country, to be raised to the level of a brigade, when necessary," says Ciuca.
According to him, the important developments recently registered in the framework offered by this Partnership also include the deepening of energy cooperation, the growth of bilateral trade, which reached a new historical maximum in 2021, as well as the transfer of state-of-the-art technology.
"All these reflect the joint commitment of our countries to deepen the Strategic Partnership and other components that bring our countries closer and guarantee economic stability and balance in times of overlapping crises and war near our country's borders," PM Ciuca adds.
The head of the Executive emphasizes that the deepening of bilateral cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy, which can contribute decisively to ensuring the energy security of our country is of special interest to Romania.
"Notable in this respect is the substantial progress made recently in the development projects of the Cernavoda Power Plant and the construction of the first power plant in the region based on the American technology of small modular reactors - SMR," adds the prime minister.
Romania will continue to strengthen its defense and resilience in order to assert itself as a solid and reliable US ally in the region, a pillar of stability for NATO's Eastern Flank and the EU, as well as a strong supporter of transatlantic unity and an active defender of the international system based on rules and values, which stand for firm guarantees for the settlement of the current war, global stability, world peace and prosperity, the prime minister goes on to say.
He also mentions the importance of including Romania in the Visa Waiver Program.
"The development of interpersonal contacts and the promotion of scientific, cultural and educational cooperation is another priority of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States. As part of the joint efforts to deepen this dimension of cooperation, the governments of Romania and the United States have assumed the common goal of including Romania in the Visa Waiver Program and continue to collaborate in order to meet the necessary criteria in this regard. Also, the Fulbright Program of the United States represents a bridge between the academic environments in our countries, providing a framework of cooperation that facilitated a better knowledge between our societies during the over 75 years of activity in Romania," says Ciuca.
He reiterates that the Romanian Government remains convinced that the relationship structured by the Strategic Partnership with the USA and the rapprochement between our citizens, societies and states will continue to contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the development of bilateral cooperation.
"Thus, we will be able to benefit from the multiplication of sectoral projects and mutual investments, rapid evolutions in terms of obtaining Romania's real energy independence, the development of high-tech sectors and, last but not least, from a more solid deterrence and defence posture, which will continue to guarantee the security of Romania's citizens," Premier Ciuca also states. AGERPRES
