site.btaRomanian President Admits Political Crisis Went Beyond Expectations

Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Tuesday expressed regret that the planned rotation in government could not take place this summer, and acknowledged that the political crisis facing the country has exceeded expectations. The president made the comments on the second day of the annual meeting of the Romanian diplomatic corps. Speaking to the heads of Romania's diplomatic missions and consular services abroad, he addressed a wide range of issues.

"Romania's foreign policy has three objectives: strengthening security, supporting Romanian communities abroad and economic diplomacy. In some areas we have made more progress than in others. The coming year will be better," Dan said.

The president stressed that Romania contributes to transatlantic security and to the security of NATO's Eastern Flank and the region.

"The partnership with the United States is crucial for Romania," he added, saying that progress has been made in this area.

"Given the current security situation, we are focusing on bilateral partnerships with a defence component. We are strongly interested in the security architecture within the European Union. We are also seeking to contribute to addressing hybrid pressure – a phenomenon that is relatively new – where cooperation is essential to finding the best solutions," he said.

In his speech, Dan noted that Romania is part of the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting the defence of Ukraine and security in the region.

"We seek a swift end to the war in Ukraine and lasting peace in the region. To this end, we support Ukraine through both bilateral and multilateral channels, and we support measures – particularly economic ones – to put pressure on Russia," he said.

The president once again stressed that Romania attaches great importance to the EU enlargement process, particularly with regard to Moldova, as well as Ukraine and the Western Balkans.

"The Black Sea is vital to the security of Romania and Europe and will be of future importance for economic relations with the Caspian region and Asia as a whole," Dan added, noting that the country is making progress on the project for a European maritime security hub.

"Next year, we will begin production operations at the Neptun Deep [natural gas] field. We are developing energy connections with countries in the region, with each of these measures forming part of our security policy," the president noted.

He announced that Romania has completed all 25 groups of technical requirements for OECD membership and is now awaiting the political decision on accession.