Priorities of the Foreign Policy

The Program of the Nastase Government for 2000-2004, as endorsed by the Parliament of Romania, sets Romania's integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures as strategic targets of the foreign policy.

These goals have been constantly promoted in Romania's foreign policy for several years now, as they are founded on a wide political consensus and strong popular support. Romania's integration with NATO and EU is seen as the safest way for achieving the national interests of security, stability of democracy and the rule of law and of progress towards a functional, competitive market economy; it also proves Romania's like-mindedness with the community of the Western democracies.

The Romanians consider themselves justified by their tradition, cultural pattern, vocation and aspirations to be part of the Euro-Atlantic community and contributor to expanding and promoting its values in bordering areas.

The Social Democratic Government led by Premier Adrian Nastase has the political will, the power levers and the necessary managerial ability to speed up the process of the economic and institutional reform and to remove incongruence in the administration with the view to attaining top performances likely to assure a lasting, credible progress for this country.

President Ion Iliescu and UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan

According to the governing program, the targets of the general foreign policy will be to secure good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation with the countries in this geographic area; to foster better bilateral relations, especially with the countries with which Romania shares the same values and interests; to enhance multilateral diplomacy, basically within the UN and its specialized agencies, sub-regional, European and Euro-Atlantic structures and organizations for the promotion of dialogue and assertion of Romania's profile internationally; to improve the cooperation between the Government and the international financial institutions and facilitate access of the private and public sectors to international markets and capital; to act for

Romania's joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; to actively support the interests of the Romanian citizens and of Romanians outside the borders and encourage their relations with the motherland; to improve Romania's capacity to fight unconventional threats to security such as terrorism, organized crime, the dissemination of mass destruction weapons, corruption, drug and people trafficking, economic and electronic crime, etc; and to promote the Romanian image, culture, spirit and science in the world.

Joining the European Union. This strategic priority of Romania's policy has been approached on the ground of a national strategy, the years 2001-2006 being considered highly important in attaining the accession target assumed by this country, the year 2007.

In the complex process of joining the EU, the foreign policy will be an active factor the more so as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is, under the program of the Nastase Cabinet, deeply involved in promoting the political steps focused on this target. Together with the Ministry of European Integration, the Foreign Ministry coordinates the foreign and domestic activities of integration and acceleration of accession negotiations, in keeping with the development strategies and the political and economic interests of Romania.

Prime-minister Adrian Nastase and his
Swedish counterpart Goran Persson

The policies of integration are guided by the Medium-Term Economic Strategy and the National Plan of Romania's Accession to the EU, as well as the Report of the European Commission regarding the progress of the candidates for admission made in the year 2000.

Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana and his
French counterpart Hubert Vedrine

It is important that within a reasonable term Romania should overcome the lagging behind in its current position among the candidate countries in matters of economic pointers and progress in the negotiation process, an unnatural situation, running counter to this country's economic and human potential.

The major demands of the European Parliament, which the current Cabinet will energetically work on, refer to: solving the problems of institutionalized children, the meagre state of the Romanian economy, agriculture in particular, corruption at all

the levels of the Romanians society, lags in the reform of the public administration, particularly by failure to earmark resources for territorial structures and the slow pace in taking over the Community acquis.

Progress has already been made in the protection of disadvantaged children, in the creation of a friendly business environment, the privatization of banks and industrial enterprises, the transparent and efficient use of grants from the EU and the Group of 24, fighting corruption and organized crime.

Priority approval will be given to the laws aimed at harmonization with the European legislation and new chapters will be opened in the negotiations with the EU, measures to make the Romanian frontiers safer will be taken with a view to removing the compulsory visa for Romanian citizens traveling to the EU states.

The meetings of Premier Adrian Nastase with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, evidenced the common availability to help Romania make bigger progress towards joining the European Union.

Accession to NATO. This is the major objective of the Romanian foreign policy, of crucial importance in consolidating stability and security for Romania and the entire region. It is urgently related to the aspiration and hope that if a new expansion is decided at the North Atlantic Alliance Summit of 2002, this should include Romania, too.

Romania will continue to rigorously apply the National Accession Program of the Ministry of National Defence, will actively participate in the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, in peace-keeping operations under the NATO umbrella, will modernize its army and technical means, and will develop its inter-operational capacity. Romania will adapt its policies and strategies to NATO and EU requirements and its national interest, being also prepared to contribute effectively to building a European force.

Prime-minister Adrian Nastase and
NATO Secretary General
George Robertson

Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Troika
in Bucharest

Holding the OSCE acting Chairmanship. As in 2001, when she held the OSCE Chairmanship-in-office, Romania will act for consolidating the role of this organization in European cooperation and security, supporting the democratic assets of the rule of law and of respect for the basic human rights and freedoms. Stress is laid on preventive diplomacy, on managing crises and post-conflict reconstruction. An active dialogue is fostered with all the member states paying equal importance to the OSCE missions and activities.

The foreign policy concepts and actions of the Presidency and of the Government of Romania, given the erosion of the international status of the country in the previous years, will impress a new spirit likely to bring about consistency, efficiency and predictability in the international policy of the Romanian state, bringing it on a high-performing level.

Source: MIP