VIDEO Klaus Iohannis, at the White House. US President: You exceeded all expectations / About the Visa Waiver Program

President Klaus Iohannis was received by Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House. Among the topics discussed were the strengthening of security in the Black Sea and NATO’s eastern flank, finding new ways to help Ukraine, but also the need to strengthen Romania’s military by increasing spending.

Iohannis also spoke with Biden about his candidacy for NATO leadership, saying that he cannot reveal what was discussed, but that negotiations continue and that it is possible that a full consensus will not be reached until the NATO summit. He assures, however, that this competition will not divide NATO but will strengthen it and put more problems on the table.

Also, during his three-day visit to Washington, Iohannis will receive the “Distinguished International Leadership Award” from the Atlantic Council, an American think-tank, for “his remarkable career, for Romania’s exemplary leadership and for his leadership role transatlantic and European”.

Romania must become stronger militarily

22:20 Asked if he will also meet with Republican leaders to find out their position on Ukraine, Iohannis says that protocol requires you to meet with the presidential administration, and that’s what he did.

He appreciated that Romania must strengthen militarily, become stronger, and that requires greater investments. “We need a stronger military industry,” he said, advocating the need for a refueling system for NATO’s entire eastern front.

About Patriot systems for Ukraine

“There is obviously a need for air defense systems, so in recent weeks it’s been an intense discussion. Romania has these systems. We were asked too. President Biden mentioned it at our meeting and I said I’m open to talking. This means that it must be discussed in the CSAT to see what we can give and what we can receive in return, because it is not acceptable for Romania to remain without”, declared Klaus Iohannis, who emphasized that Romania has only one functional Patriot system, but ” others are on the way to operation”.

“The joint priority, of the EU, of the US, is not to allow Russia to win this war,” he said.

About NATO leadership

Iohannis says he also discussed this point with Biden and they decided the dialogue should continue, but said he could not make the discussions public. “It is good to have competition, to have two strong candidates, because this way more tasks will be put on the table”, he appreciated

Moreover, the Romanian president warned that a consensus may not be reached until the NATO summit, but that this will not lead to division within the Alliance.

“Yes, there is a risk, and that’s why I think it’s 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 secretary general. 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, it is moving forward, but it is good to have two candidates because then there is the possibility to open new topics for debates and there is obviously a chance to make things go better”, answered Iohannis.

10:10 p.mPresident Iohannis says he talked with Joe Biden about ways to deepen collaboration between the two NATO states and to find new ways to help Ukraine, including by facilitating agricultural products from Ukraine to destination countries.

Iohannis thanked the US for strengthening security in the Eastern space of the Alliance.

“We have also addressed the admission of Romania to the Visa Wiver program and we are convinced that this will happen in the not too distant future”, declared the Romanian president.

21:43 The press statements of President Iohannis are now awaited

9:35 p.m Biden ended the short press conference by saying that Romania was a pillar of NATO in Europe.

The American president said that he supported Romania’s accession to NATO since the time when he was a senator and that all his expectations were exceeded. “I supported Romania’s accession since I was a senator, that is, 180 years ago,” joked Biden.

Klaus Iohannis, received by Joe Biden in the Oval Office. PHOTO: Alex Brandon / AP / Profimedia

9:32 p.m Klaus Iohannis declared that Romania’s acceptance into NATO constituted the cornerstone for our country’s road to democracy.

The president also mentioned the Visa Waiver, requesting that Romanians soon be able to travel without visas to the USA.

9:30 p.m Joe Biden praised Romania for the aid given to Ukraine and for participating in the NATO exercises, but he also thanked us for hosting American soldiers on the territory of our country.

PHOTO CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Getty images / Profimedia

21:26US President Joe Biden praised Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday for his leadership and for providing security in the Black Sea area during the war in Ukraine, during a meeting at the White House.

Iohannis said that allies must find ways to prevent Russia from winning the war in Ukraine and assured that our country will continue to support Kiev.

21:10 The Presidential Administration announces that it cannot broadcast LIVE the reception of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, by his American counterpart

20:55Joe Biden’s reception of President Klaus Iohannis is delayed. The event is to take place at 21.00, according to the Presidential Administration

20:27President Iohannis’ press statements are expected at approximately 9:30 p.m. Romanian time

Klaus Iohannis is on a working visit to Washington from Tuesday until May 9, accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, Luminița Odobescu and Cătălin Predoiu.

Today, from 20:30 Romanian time, Iohannis is received at the White House by the US president, Joe Biden.

According to the Presidential Administration, “priority topics of the international and bilateral agenda” will be discussed, such as the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea basin and the strengthening of security in the Euro-Atlantic area.

“The high-level dialogue will be a good opportunity to raise the profile of the Strategic Partnership with the United States and reconfirm the privileged bilateral relations between the two states and multisectoral cooperation. The visit of President Klaus Iohannis to the USA will be a good opportunity to reaffirm Romania’s role as a security provider and active actor in the management of international crises and respected by the partners of the North Atlantic Alliance”, the Presidential Administration says.

On Wednesday, 02:00, Romanian time, Iohannis will also have a meeting with the president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.

Klaus Iohannis will be awarded by the Atlantic Council

Also on Wednesday, from 18:30 Romanian time, Klaus Iohannis will receive the “Distinguished International Leadership Award” for 2024 from the Atlantic Council, an American think-tank, for “his remarkable career, for the exemplary leadership of Romania and for the role as a transatlantic and European leader”.

The award will be presented to Iohannis at the Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards gala.

President Klaus Iohannis is the first European head of state to receive this distinction, in the 24 years since the award was established, according to the Presidential Administration.

The Atlantic Council is an American “think tank” organization, founded in 1961, with a rich activity in the field of international affairs. Annually, the Atlantic Council awards a limited number of personalities.

Past recipients of The Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards include US Presidents George W. Bush (2018), William J. Clinton (2010) and George HW Bush (2009), US Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2011) – current US President, European Commission Presidents Ursula von der Leyen (2021) and Jose Manuel Barroso (2014), Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (2022), German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (2009) , British Prime Minister Tony Blair (2008).