Romanian Diplomacy Meeting, Sept 7-9; Aurescu: Challenges are the engine in the adaptation process

Challenges in the world are "the engine in the process of adaptation and reinvention of diplomacy to effectively serve the interests of the state and citizens," Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday, September 1, Romanian Diplomacy Day.

"Anchored in sustainable values and objectives, Romanian diplomacy built and developed last year important landmarks in building a more resilient Romania," the minister said.

At the same time, Aurescu announced that the process of reflection and strategic planning for the next period will continue during the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, which will take place in a virtual format September 7-9, under the theme "Diplomacy action to strengthen Romania's resilience."

Aurescu said that the Romanian Diplomacy Day is "a well-deserved moment of celebration, but especially of reflection, in order to continue to improve and consolidate our activity in all its dimensions."

"Today, we are summing up a difficult year, marked by complex challenges, from the efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic to ongoing crises, such as the one related to the situation in Afghanistan," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

He added that "worldwide, diplomacy is at the forefront of key questions and at the heart of adaptation and anticipation processes" and in such context "we must resolutely focus on defending our national strategic interests, values and mission to the direct benefit of the Romanian citizens."

At the same time, Aurescu said building resilience "requires an unprecedented capacity for adaptation, and also an acute sense of keeping the main direction in our diplomatic action, as well as an increased capacity to manage crises."

Thus, the minister talked about the importance of building resilience by increasing the relevance of diplomatic action, given the increasing importance of it in a post-pandemic perspective.

He also mentioned some of the priorities of the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy.

"We will focus on the contribution that Romanian diplomacy can and must make to building resilience at the state level, and also outside Romania - in the region, at the European, transatlantic and, finally, global level. We will do that including in debates with our special guests, foreign ministers and senior officials of some international organisations, who will share their vision on this essential matter," Aurescu said.

At the same time, Aurescu emphasised that Romanian diplomacy will continue to promote democratic values, stability and security, both in the region and globally, respect for international law and the rule-based international order, firm support for effective multilateralism.

As 2022 marks 160 years since the establishment of Romania's Foreign Ministry, Aurescu showed that this celebration will be a "test of sustainable and visionary institutional transformation, as well as of action to move forward, with the specific means of diplomacy, our endeavour to promote Romania's modernisation and progress."