David Muniz (US Embassy): We are proud to have assisted Romania in promoting the rule of law

Charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Bucharest David Muniz said on Thursday, at an Independence Day reception, that the US is proud to have assisted Romania in promoting the rule of law. "Romania has shown its strength and willingness to fight corruption, and continued dedication to the rule of law will help eradicate its last vestiges to haunt this nation. We are proud to have assisted Romania in promoting the rule of law and we continue to stand beside you in this effort," he said. He pointed out that "nations, like people, are defined by what they stand for and whom they stand with." "Today I see a nation that the United States is proud to call an ally and friend. (...) Thank you for standing with and know that we will stand alongside Romania as it continues to realise its rightful place as a leading European nation," said the official. The diplomat recalled that ten years ago the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between the United States of America and Romania was penned. "This declaration recognised our mutual security, our mutual commitment to democratic values, our bonds of friendship, and our shared vision of the necessity of open markets and open exchange," the US official said. According to him, the Strategic Partnership "envisioned Romania's future." He also mentioned Romania's mission in Afghanistan. "Both our nations have seen many changes over the past decade, but the visions and promises embodied in the Strategic Partnership remain. I would be remiss not to mention that Romania immediately and bravely and thoroughly fulfilled the partnership declaration of mutual security guarantees. The final contingent of Romanian forces just returned home from Afghanistan and we owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never fully pay," said Muniz. The US Embassy official added that "Romania's tireless efforts to improve its interoperability and cooperation with NATO allies, and its commitment to modernising its forces and incorporating the best defense capabilities available allow us all to breathe easier." He also said that "Romania is well placed, well on the road to becoming a key player in the pan-European technology, innovation and energy sectors." "This would not be possible if Romanian leadership had not honored its obligations over the past few years and worked to foster an environment friendly to business, whether in the technology sector or elsewhere. The Craiova-Pitesti highway project is just one example of how strong oversight and adept stewardship of public funds can quickly and tangibly provide real benefits," Muniz underlined. At the same time, he mentioned that the United States sincerely believes that, "for Romania to assume its rightful place at the table of European leadership, future development must be dominated by adherence to transparency and the rule of law." "Just one month ago, President Biden stated that countering corruption is a core element of the United States' national security policy and that corruption threatens not just our security but also our development efforts and even democracy itself," he said. Regarding human rights, Muniz stated that "Romania's strong stands in this area have made it a leader." "Your stands on matters in Belarus spoke volumes - it is only the most recent of many times when Romania stood for the values of the democratic world. We have wearied of unfailingly malign actors and their bullying, corruption and propaganda. We will move forward together, shaping the future of our nations and peoples, and those nations that prey upon their people and their neighbours and seek only to sow discord belong to past decades," said Muniz. "Thank you Romania for your clear-eyed perspective and for the steps you took to protect your country's emergent 5G infrastructure from untrusted foreign control and for making the job of malign influencers propaganda all the more difficult," said Muniz. At the beginning of the ceremony, also attended by President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Florin Citu, there was flyover of Romanian and British aircraft: five Puma helicopters, three cargo aircraft (C-130H and C -27J), a Eurofighter of the British Forces. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)