The strategic partnership between Romania and the US has reached its 25th year.

Twenty-five years ago, more specifically on 11th July 1997, during a brief official visit to Bucharest by then US president Bill Clinton, the foundation was laid for a new Romanian-American cooperation. The partnership focused on strengthening bilateral relations, on supporting Romania’s reform and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, on promoting its role as a stability and security pillar in south-eastern Europe.

The Romanian foreign ministry emphasises that at the time of its signing, the Strategic Partnership was a key element in the relations between the two countries and at the same time an efficient tool to support Romania’s political, economic, military and administrative reform efforts.

Fourteen years later, on 13th September, the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century Between the United States of America and Romania was adopted in Washington. An important document for the bilateral relations, it confirmed the good cooperation within the Partnership and defined the key elements of these relations: political dialogue, security, economy, grassroots contacts, science and technology, research, education and culture.

To mark the 25 years of Partnership, Romania’s ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, was received by US president Joe Biden, who thanked Romania for the support provided to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. Andrei Muraru conveyed a message from president Klaus Iohannis, along with the desire to further strengthen this partnership.

In a Facebook post that includes two photos with the White House leader, Andrei Muraru says that Romania is the strongest ally of the US in the region, but that the Black Sea region is, at present, the most vulnerable area in NATO.

„If Russia is the main imminent and direct threat to us and our neighbours, the response can only be an even more robust US military presence in the region, particularly in Romania,ˮ Andrei Muraru says in his post.

On the other hand, in the economic sector, president Klaus Iohannis Sunday welcomed his US counterpart Joe Biden’s announcement regarding the USD 14-million funding provided by Washington for a new stage of the small modular reactor programme in Romania.

„Ensuring energy security is a shared goal in the Romania-US strategic partnership,” Klaus Iohannis pointed out. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said the decision of the US to finance the engineering and design study for the development of SMRs in Romania is a core element for the development of the national civilian nuclear programme. (Leyla Cheamil)