Klaus Iohannis: I had a very consistent discussion with Joe Biden.
LIVE VIDEO: Press statements made during the working visit to the United States of America.
TEXT: Press statements made during the working visit to the United States of America. (transcription, RADOR)
Klaus Iohannis: Good morning and good evening to those at home! A short time ago I had a very good meeting with the President of the United States of America, Mr. Joe Biden, at the White House. The visit also coincides with an anniversary moment for Romania: 20 years have passed since Romania became a NATO member state. This year we celebrate 75 years since the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance. I talked with President Biden about the strategic partnership between our countries, how we can make it stronger and how we can deepen it so that it meets the challenges we face in this extremely complicated global context. I thanked President Biden for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and the entire eastern flank and at the same time for recognizing the strategic role of the Black Sea in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The presence of American troops on the territory of our country, in increased numbers, represents a safety and stability factor not only for Romania, but for the entire region. President Biden expressed his special appreciation for the consistent efforts that Romania makes for the benefit of the allied space and also for the continuous support we give to Ukraine, including by facilitating the transit of agricultural products from Ukraine to world markets. I emphasize that the topic of security is not only a strictly military one and must be approached in a much broader sense, because the safety of our citizens depends on it and the support of the democratic principles on which our societies are founded. Both Romania and the United States share the objective of strengthening bilateral relations and we work in this sense in the field of energy, being known for the close cooperation we have in the nuclear field, the defense industry, in the economic field, in IT, in innovation and research and in fact the list is much longer. Of course, we also addressed the issue of Romania’s admission to the Visa Waiver program, a very important aspect for all Romanian citizens. Our objective is to meet all the conditions for inclusion in this program and we are confident that this will happen in the not too distant future. We obviously also discussed the preparation of the anniversary summit in Washington in July of this year and Romania’s objectives there. It is important that transatlantic unity and coordination be reconfirmed at this meeting. In addition to the consistent and consistent support we provide to Ukraine, it is essential that we continue to strengthen the defense and deterrence posture on the eastern flank and have a strengthened approach to security in the Black Sea.
Now, these discussions are not made public, and I’m not going to say what President Biden said. I will tell you what I said there, but the discussion was not a long one, it was a relatively short one, and if you asked me if there is a risk of not having a consensus, yes, there is a risk. And that is precisely why I think it is very good to have two candidacies, to have two candidates who, in general, are both considered acceptable, because a strong organization also needs strong competitions. And, in the end, one of the two candidates will probably be elected the next general secretary. The important thing is not to mix things up. There were some who said that if there are two candidates, the unity of the Alliance is broken. Not by a long shot! The alliance is strong, we move forward. But it is good to have two candidates, because then there is the possibility to open new debate topics and there is obviously a chance to make things go better. Yes thank you!
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The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, was received this evening, at the White House, by the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden.
The visit to the United States reaffirms Romania’s role as a security provider and active actor in the management of international crises, the Presidential Administration announces.
“I had a very consistent discussion today in Washington, with President Joe Biden, at the White House, about the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, including cooperation in the field of security, economic and energy issues“, Klaus Iohannis said, in a post on his X page (formerly Twitter).
