The View from Bucharest with Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu

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Both Washington and Bucharest underwent leadership changes in 2025. Less than four months after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Romanians elected a new president, who soon formed a new government.

Hudson will welcome a key member of this new Romanian administration, Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Oana-Silvia Țoiu. Foreign Minister Țoiu entered office amid heightened tensions between Moscow and the West. Russia has repeatedly violated North Atlantic Treaty Organization airspace, including a drone incursion into Romanian skies on September 14. And in late August, a Russian naval drone struck a Ukrainian vessel in the Danube River on the Romanian border.

With Peter Rough, Foreign Minister Țoiu will discuss Black Sea security, the war in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid attacks, and Romania-US relations.

Event Transcript

This transcription is automatically generated and edited lightly for accuracy. Please excuse any errors.

Peter Rough:

Good afternoon and welcome to the Betsy and Walter P. Stern Conferencing Center here at Hudson Institute. My name is Peter Rough. I’m an analyst of Transatlantic and European affairs here at Hudson, and it’s my privilege to welcome to Hudson, her excellency, the foreign minister of Romania, Oana Țoiu. She has been appointed June 23, 2025, with the new government taking power in Romania. It’s not her first stint in government. She also served as state secretary in the Ministry of Labor and is a parliamentarian for the last five years where she was vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, served as the chairwoman of the Labor Committee in the Parliament and as vice president of the Save Romania Union, which is part of the coalition government. Your excellency, it’s a pleasure to have you here. Welcome to Hudson Institute.

Oana Țoiu:

Thank you so much for having us. I’m here together with my team from the embassies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it’s also very important for me that I’m here to be able to personally say this. Thank you. The work that the Hudson Institute has done for so many years is essential for where we are now in the attention that is given to the Black Sea because you have invested in this when it was maybe more of a niche topic. So very grateful for the work that you’re doing in the Institute for the contributions in the Congress hearings.

Peter Rough:

Our pleasure. It’s been a hand-in-glove partnership with your embassy. You have one of the best here in Washington, but let’s leave Europe for just a moment and start with the news of the day because how could we else, the president on Truth Social, posting last night overnight in the Middle East that the US had brokered together with a Turkish and Arab partners an agreement between Hamas and Israel. And I saw you on the sidelines of the high level week at the UN, make a brief statement or two on this issue, not necessarily in the plenary but elsewhere. And I thought maybe I would just start by asking what’s the Romanian reaction to the president’s announcements and how do you see it playing out?

Oana Țoiu:

We’re very optimistic and grateful for his involvement in the peace plan. It’s actually also one of the conversations we’ve had in the meeting yesterday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also very optimistic throughout the meeting. They were waiting still for some official communication. In Romania’s case, we have a strong Jewish community at home, but also in Israel, a strong community with Romanian descent. And we also have a very, very important Palestinian community. Romania is one of the very few countries that have not interrupted diplomatic relationships either with Israel or Palestine. We have three decades of promoting the two-state solution. And in that sense, we’re willing, able and ready to contribute in the future format that the peace plan is going to have. And we’ve expressed that interest, we’ve expressed that availability to help in our conversations as well. But the first thing first is that the value of human life is the most important part here. So we want to see the emergencies that were stated by President Donald Trump as well. The first steps of the peace plan happened.

Peter Rough:

Well, I hope the secretary wasn’t too distracted because there’s a lot on the Romania-US file that’s of the utmost importance too. You have the longest land border with Ukraine of any EU states, and Romania has felt the brunt of quite a few violations of your airspace. I think as Matt Boyse testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a few weeks ago, there have been some fifty incidents since 2022 near the border, dozens of times that drone debris has fallen into Romania. Late August, August 28, there was an attack in the Danube delta by a Russian naval drone on a Ukrainian vessel. And then of course, September 13, the big incident, 50 minutes in your airspace intercepted by your fighters. What’s the state of play in the NATO conversation and in your talks with the Americans on territorial integrity and protecting Romania’s sovereignty?

Oana Țoiu:

The first thing first is that I think those incursions, not just in Romania but in other countries on the eastern flank, have actually been a moment where we have proved solidarity among us. The diplomatic response was fast, was very clear, it was at the high level. And in every of these cases we have shown as an international community that the security of one of us is the security of all of us. And I think that that is very important, not just from a deterrence point of view, but also from a citizen’s point of view when you look at who is close to your country, who you can rely on further on. That being said, we’re also contributors to the conversation in the NATO format around the decision that has been taken and communicated by Secretary General Mark Rutte as well, which is to make sure we have an even better defense on the eastern flank with the Eastern Sentry initiative. And for Romania, obviously it’s extremely important that it is very clear that when we speak of the eastern flank, we speak of the eastern flank until the Black Sea.

Peter Rough:

Bucharest Nine all the way up and down the flank. The EU also seems to be picking up its activity in this area. There’s talk about revoking Schengen for Russian diplomats. I think that’s a Czech initiative. Von der Leyen in Copenhagen raised a few other issues, the commission president, that could be looked at as a way to respond to Russian hybrid warfare. Why do you think the Russians are probing as they are right now? Do you think that there’s been a special uptick of late and if so, what is that particularly related to?

Oana Țoiu:

Their reaction, for example, when we summoned the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Romania after the drone incident was a typical tactic to try to move away from the actual problem. They said that they do not know how can we recognize the drone as being one of theirs. But obviously, Russians do not need Romanians to tell them that they have Russian drones. It’s clearly something that they’re aware of. The way we knew and assigned that specific identity was that the pilots have seen the drone and they were able to identify the design, the model that was only used at our border by the Russian forces.

And then something that is also very important, and you’ve mentioned it clearly, which is what are the other factors that we can use to increase pressure? And obviously, you have this factor around pressure, around the diplomatic part of it, but also the economy part is absolutely essential. We’re supporters of the nineteenth package of sanctions, the European Union format, but also we support President Donald Trump’s direction, which is the request that all member states try and succeed to cut off from Russian energy sources in a way that now it is highly likely that part of the profit that Russia is doing from this is also used to finance the war operations.

In our case, specifically in Romania, something that we’ve put forward from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with our Ministry of Justice is a new set meant to discourage anyone who wants to go around the sanctions. What does that mean in practical terms is that we have changed what we currently have in the law, which is just a financial consequence into something that is punishable, also with jail time to up to 12 years. And this is our law proposals that has been adopted by the government as a project to change the law and send to Parliament in alignment with the EU directive.

Peter Rough:

Are you confident the nineteenth package is going to ultimately be codified and passed and implemented just like I suppose the 18 previous ones all required some haggling and diplomacy within the EU 27?

Oana Țoiu:

It’s not necessarily easy to align all states in that direction or on specific decisions of the package, but yes, I’m confident that we will reach that point.

Peter Rough:

So you mentioned the importance of energy independence. It’s a watchword in American politics too, and there, let’s go a bit to the Black Sea and obviously Romania has enormous stakes in the development of natural gas energy partnership with the West. I think the Neptune Field began drilling earlier this year, maybe in March or June. I don’t remember when exactly, but this is a huge project of enormous significance potentially coming online then in 2027, and could serve as an alternative. Can you just outline a little bit for those at home who are watching who might not know as much about the energy riches of the Black Sea, in particular in your EEZ, what the thinking is, what’s underway and what the possibilities are?

Oana Țoiu:

Yes, thank you so much for the question. So Romania is currently the main natural gas producer from the European Union, and that is a role that we want to increase. The natural gas resources from the Black Sea are actually the main resource that would allow us to do that. In our estimation, the increase of the resources that we can provide to Romania, to our neighbors, to the energy market can even be almost doubled by 2027 or even later on, depending on the speed at which that is happening. And we believe that to be important, not just from the perspective of ensuring that there is an alternative to Russian energy supply, but also from a perspective of the costs that are part of the dynamic in the business environment, but also in the individual energy costs.

Because there are two aspects here. First of all, we need to lower the energy costs in order to ensure the competitiveness of our businesses, but in the same time, the energy cost needs to be lowered because the quality of life is always a factor that has an effect in the way citizens perceive governments, perceive the European Union path versus vulnerabilities that are then potentially used as vulnerabilities to be exploited by alternative narratives.

Peter Rough:

Because politics has to work in practice, not just in theory.

Oana Țoiu:

Exactly. And we have seen, unfortunately, energy also be used as an instrument, for example, in Moldova or Transnistria. We have seen energy being used in that manner. And it was extremely important that we had alternative energy sources, that we had the acceleration that happened for the interconnectivity that was needed. But still there is more work to be done in terms of interconnectivity.

Peter Rough:

And on some of the other energy files, cooperation with the US nuclear is an issue that’s been much discussed. Can you get into that a little bit?

Oana Țoiu:

So Romania is hosting a small modular reactor less than two hours away from Bucharest. And we are still aligned with the initial purpose of that, which is to make it the first commercially viable model of a small modular reactor in this Romanian-US partnership. By the end of this year, there are also going to be more technical details available on the future phases and the rhythm in which that can happen. And we also, for Romania, it’s very important to accelerate the investments we currently plan for the Cernavodǎ Plant reactors three and four, and the refurbishment of reactor one.

Peter Rough:

In Washington, we’re waiting with bated breath for the release of a few strategy documents.

Oana Țoiu:

Yes, I think I know what strategy documents you’re referring to.

Peter Rough:

And especially one that I’d want to hone in with you is the National Defense Strategy, but also the related or corollary to that, the force posture review. Romania has made significant investments in its military infrastructure, both in its own armed forces, but also basing. And there are a few bases that always stick out because of their size and significance and importance. For one, again, almost as an educational question, can you talk a little bit about the infrastructure in place, the basing in Romania? And then tell us some secrets. What have you heard about our force posture review and the future of US forces in Romania?

Oana Țoiu:

Not the spokesperson of the United States administration, but I think everyone is indeed waiting for the strategic documents that you’ve mentioned. What I can say on our behalf is that we wanted, in these days in Washington, but also throughout the year, to try to make clear our perspective and why it is important that we have such a strong NATO presence in Romania, how that acts as a security and as a deterrence factor also for the Black Sea. And our effort in the last years, but more so in the last months was to overlap the economic interest, the energy perspective with the need to have security in the area.

Peter Rough:

And you feel like you’ve had adequate consultations with the administration, you’ve had a hearing, your point of view has been heard on these questions?

Oana Țoiu:

I think there is an understanding on the risks of the region and also the importance of the US presence there.

Peter Rough:

Risks of the region. Just a few weeks ago, the Moldovans went to vote and returned, I think, a very important election result and continued to chart their westward path. How did you read those elections? How do you think the Russians were active in the lead up to it? What can we learn from the Moldovan playbook, both on the Moldovan but also the Russian side as a lesson for Europe or at large?

Oana Țoiu:

Yeah, that is an amazing question and thank you for asking that. Just can I maybe ask someone if you could be kind enough to bring me some water?

Peter Rough:

There’s a water right there.

Oana Țoiu:

Ah, okay. Super. Thank you. So with Moldova, I think all eyes were on Moldova during elections, but also even before elections. We’ve addressed actually the Russian interference in Moldovan elections also in our speech in the plenary of the United Nations. And then we were also present in the room when the ambassador of Moldova had their own plenary speech at the United Nations because it was one day after the elections. And we wanted to be there for that very important moment where the world has already seen the proof of the resilience of the Moldovan people, the absolute clear example of leadership that they showed to the world in their ability to protect what they’ve decided for the future of their country. So they’re nothing less than spectacular, I would say.

Now, from an institutional perspective, I think it’s very important to acknowledge that what we see in many countries is a similar pattern. So it’s not that every country has its own different interference and there’s a plan that’s targeted to that country. It’s rather, yes, they use specific elements and specific teams potentially, but it’s clear that the challenge is common, that the patterns are common. And a conclusion that I think should derive from that is our need to coordinate among ourselves to share information, to share lessons learned among the countries that have had this challenge or are likely to have that challenge in the future. Because I think that’s one element that can make us more resilient and make our democracies more resilient.

That’s one thing. The other is connected with cybersecurity. President Maia Sandu in her speech in the plenary of the European Parliament has very clearly outlined the number of cyberattacks that they have seen. Our president, Nicușor Dan, has also clearly mentioned in the report that he presented to other European leaders recently, what is happening in terms of cyber attacks. And the lesson I think should derive from that, is the fact that we need to place more focus on the cybersecurity part, in the way we invest, in the way we analyze, and we look at our defense capabilities, deterrence capabilities. And here the good news is that there are many companies, great entrepreneurs that have developed solutions in that direction. Romania has some amazing tech entrepreneurs. Part of them are present here in the United States as well. And also at an institutional level, there are many experts that are very prepared in how they analyze the risks and they propose solutions to them. It’s just we need to have the institutions and the resources to accelerate that.

Peter Rough:

Well, let’s keep traveling along the Black Sea coast to Ukraine then. And here the question, before we get to the war itself, or I shouldn’t say the war itself, Romania’s Ukraine policy. I want to ask you about the Black Sea, what else? And specifically the Ukrainians through derring-do and a lot of innovation and really dramatic action have, without a Navy themselves, managed to push the Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk and really open up the sea lanes for commerce from Odessa down to the Bosporus. How important is freedom of navigation in the Black Sea in the discussions about war termination, the future of the region? Because one could easily imagine if eventually the guns do fall silent and there is a ceasefire or some sort of political agreement that the Russians begin creeping in towards the western part of the Black Sea and begin to anaconda-like squeeze Ukrainian commerce and cause problems with energy infrastructure. We just talked about the Neptune Field among other very important and valuable Bulgarian offsea holdings, et cetera. So how do you approach that issue?

Oana Țoiu:

The freedom of navigation is absolutely essential already. So not necessarily just after how you beautifully put it, the guns fell silent, and it has proved to be essential also in the humanitarian flows that were needed, but also in the export of cereals, for example, because those were essential to allow Ukraine to have the income flow that was needed, but also it would’ve been a security challenge, an access to food security challenge for other countries of the world as well if together, we wouldn’t have managed to secure that. And here the Constanța Harbor has its own importance and it’s going to have an increased importance in the reconstruction phase as well.

And also it is very clear to us that we need to increase the collaboration we have among the countries at the Black Sea. One thing that we’re doing now together with Bulgaria and Turkey is that we’re having common demining activities. There are more countries interested to collaborate. Ukraine actually is also doing a very good job in terms of demining, and I’m mentioning this because the paradigm is usually focused on how we all help Ukraine. But in the same time, we need to acknowledge that Ukraine itself is helping us all in terms of the security in the Black Sea with the efforts that they’re doing and their own contribution there.

Peter Rough:

I just saw the Ukrainians played the Red Team in a NATO exercise, so teaching NATO forces how to react to a potential Russian move. So let’s talk about Romania’s Ukraine policy then writ large. How would you characterize it? What’s been your work with the Ukrainians since you’ve come into office in June, and how is your administration writ large working with the Ukrainians today?

Oana Țoiu:

Thank you for the question. So Romania and Ukraine, we did not always have the good relationship we have now, but now we are in a very good moment on both sides, I would say in the way we see this bilateral relationship and in the way we see the future of our collaboration after the peace agreement and the reconstruction. Actually even today as we speak, there’s a launch of a train path from Kyiv-Chișinǎu-Bucharest. I don’t know if I say it now before it’s public on Twitter, because we said we’re going to align all the three ministers of foreign affairs to have a common tweet on it today.

Peter Rough:

Perfect. It’s breaking news.

Oana Țoiu:

I’m not sure, but I’ve announced actually the fact that this is going to be the case in the common visit, in the common format of conversations, the Odessa Triangle, which is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova. And part of the statements we had in our recent meeting was actually this. So it’s a semi-breaking news. Let’s say. But I’m mentioning this because the infrastructure connections are very important for the common objectives that we have that are also economic in nature. It’s not just the security part and the way we ensured support in terms of humanitarian support or the patriot that we have provided to Ukraine and that we have recovered in terms of our own air defense in a process together with international partners. But it’s also our ability to see together and explore together the economic opportunities that we see in the future. And we’re working on that. And the meeting I’ve had also with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the prime minister, were focused on that part as well.

Peter Rough:

If eventually the war ends and the Turks lift the invocation of the Montreux Convention for restricting travel through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, what is your hope and vision for NATO activity in the Black Sea?

Oana Țoiu:

I cannot answer that in more specific terms in terms of presence, but I think it is very clear that we have a common objective, not just as NATO, but as countries around the Black Sea, that we keep it safe, that we keep the commercial lines open. And also there are elements that are maybe not always so obvious, but are very important, which is, for example, the undersea cable protection and all these aspects of security that we need to be more mindful of.

Peter Rough:

I noticed in the readout or in some of the State Department statements on your meeting with the secretary, the visa issue came up. Can you talk a little bit about where that stands?

Oana Țoiu:

So Romania has as a priority, its inclusion in the visa waiver program. We have done the technical work to take us there. We’re working together with our Ministry of Internal Affairs, the chancellor and the prime minister on that focus. And in the bilateral relationship, of course, it’s one of the important elements in our work. That being said, how the US administration is now perceiving as a general paradigm, the program, I think that is still something under evaluation on their side. Not necessarily specifically targeted to Romania, but overall I think they’re at the moment where they are looking at this new paradigm that they have, which is focused on the security of the borders, and we’re going to see how does the visa waiver fit into this.

Peter Rough:

Any other issues in that bilateral conversation that we haven’t touched on that came up with Secretary Rubio that you could talk about?

Oana Țoiu:

Yeah, we’ve spoken also about the Romanian community here in the United States. That is something very important for me also personally that I do in every of the bilateral meetings where that is relevant. And in the United States, it is extremely relevant. We have very important community here for us. I have had the chance to recently meet with them in Chicago, in New York, here in Washington. So we’ve spoke a bit about that and also about the Romanian entrepreneurs. And actually he has also mentioned the fact that he’s aware that we have good Romanian entrepreneurs in the tech field specifically, and we were talking about how we can increase the economic collaboration between Romania and the United States.

Peter Rough:

Where is the Romanian diaspora in the US located? In Chicago, is that a big . . . 

Oana Țoiu:

Chicago is a big and strong community, and they’ve actually had a recent gathering there, but we have a strong community here in Washington as well, New York, many other states.

Peter Rough:

The new mechanism that the president’s announced for Ukraine with Secretary Rutte in the Oval Office, it’s not so new now, it’s a few months old, but it’s basically a purchasing agreement with Europe for capabilities which our European partners might not be able to produce yet at volume or scale themselves. What’s your assessment on how that is working and what is the satisfaction level in Europe with this new mechanism?

Oana Țoiu:

So the news has been received with optimism, and actually I think it’s very, very important what the United States is doing in that regard. Every news that is coming from the US administration in a positive direction is very, very important for all of us. It is also quite clear that in terms of the needs of the Ukrainian army, they were, and they still are some needs that can only be met by the United States in this equation. So it is perceived in positive terms and within NATO, I would say this week’s is maybe one of the most important conversations alongside, of course, the Eastern Sentry.

Peter Rough:

And the NATO agreement or decision at The Hague to go for 5 percent, 3.5, and specific military kit 1.5 and adjacent or ancillary investments. How do you think that is going to proceed? I mean, there are a lot of questions about procurement, about the transatlantic defense industrial base. How will the US fit into Europe’s rearmament or Europe’s modernization? How do you envision that, at least, for Romania?

Oana Țoiu:

For us, the decision at The Hague was very important, not just on our side, but obviously the decision taken by the NATO members also ensures a stronger deterrence factor that for us as a bordering country to the world is maybe even more important. Although here I would quote one of the statements of Mark Rutte that said at some point that we need to be aware that the initiatives on the Eastern flank actually serve all, because if Russia has missile long . . . How are they called? Long—

Peter Rough:

Long-range missiles.

Oana Țoiu:

Long-range missiles. Then practically, we are all on the eastern flank in a way. So that is very, very important.

But the way we see it from Romania’s point of view is also as a moment in time and as an opportunity to modernize and invest in our defense industry. One of the reasons why we were able to support Ukraine at the beginning of the conflict was also the fact that part of our industry, our state-owned industry, was still on all standards that were fitting the type of needs that the Ukrainians had. But it’s also very clear now that we’re moving into a more modern state, and this is a moment for the Romanian defense industry also to accelerate its modernization. We have just recently signed an agreement with Rheinmetall for what will be one of the most modern gunpowder factories in Europe. My colleague, Minister of Economy Radu Miruță, has finalized these negotiations, and that is an important project for us, for example.

My colleague, the Minister of Defense Ionuț Moșteanu, has been in bilateral meetings in Ukraine, and we now have a common proposal that we create the frame together with Ukraine, where drones can be produced in Romania with common technology. That might be of interest for United States investors as well. We’re looking at potential partnerships with the United States in this direction as well in the private sphere. So these are very important areas of development.

And again, I will come back to the cybersecurity part, because here Romania can play a key role.

Peter Rough:

I think Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, has had a permanent smile on his face since the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, not because he’s for the war, he’s happy about the developments there, but it’s been a certain boost for his company and, I think, for defense industry across Europe.

Of course, part of the reason that that war continues and Russia has managed to maintain the operational tempo that it has is because it’s receiving essential, indispensable dual-use technology, semiconductor, machine tool, microelectronic support from Beijing and from the Chinese. How do you view the relationship between China and Russia? How would you characterize it, and how do you see the Chinese on the bilateral level?

Oana Țoiu:

I think everyone sees that there is an increased alignment between Russia and China and North Korea, Iran. On our case, when we are looking at the relationship with China, we’re looking from this perspective, but it’s not a full alignment between them. So I think here it’s very important what’s going to happen in the future and what are going to be all of our messaging internationally. And here we share the perspective of the European Union, where it’s very important also if you look on the commercial side to have a de-risking strategy, to be able to have less of a dependency to what is provided now in different commercial flows from China.

But we’re going to continue the commercial relationship. We have a Chinese community in Romania that we value. Romania and China, we have traditional ties, traditional good ties, but that is separate, as much as it can be separate, from the fact that we acknowledge the risk that is now posed on the region, and we are very clear in expressing the fact that we are worried about that. And we’ve also taken some measures to ensure that key infrastructure in Romania, such as the 5G infrastructure, is not open to such risk, or other key investment areas.

Peter Rough:

Do you think there’s a common European view emerging or crystallizing on China writ large? And do you think the de-risking agenda is making progress since it’s conceived by President Von der Leyen?

Oana Țoiu:

I think the de-risking agenda is making progress, but I would be quite frank in saying that I think we had more expectations from the EU-China Summit, and I don’t think the Summit itself has accelerated to the level it could have that relationship.

Peter Rough:

And back to the Middle East, we can end where we began. How does Iran factor into all of this, into the China-Russia relationship, in your view?

Oana Țoiu:

Iran is a contributor for Russia in the Ukrainian conflict. Even the drone that has entered our airspace is of Iranian design. And here our messages have been clear towards them. Also, something that is very important to mention is that we have the Deveselu shield. That’s also a factor. For a long time we have it, but it’s still now a factor that is seen from the United States, I think, more clearly as to why it is important.

Peter Rough:

Well, Madam Foreign Minister, you can see what a lovely this is, and how pleasant this conversation has been. I noticed that you and the secretary talked a little bit about Nicușor Dan’s visit potentially in the first quarter of 2026. We will already now throw our hat in the ring to host him as well as—

Oana Țoiu:

We’ll convey that message.

Peter Rough:

Exactly. Thank you very much. And it’s been a real pleasure to have you. You’ve had a very strong start in office, and I look forward to watching you on the global stage in the months and years to come and hopefully welcoming you back to Hudson as we continue our work on the eastern flank, the war in Ukraine, the Black Sea. Next week, we’re hosting your minister of finance. And before I go, I just also want to point out it is my last event with Victoria Miller as our head of public affairs. After 10 years at Hudson, she’s heading to the State Department, and we’re sorry to see her go, but it’s been great to have her. Thank you for your first event at Hudson and hopefully many more to—

Oana Țoiu:

But not the last.

Peter Rough:

That’s right.

Oana Țoiu:

Just one thing. So thank you so much for hosting us, for the kind words. I’ll convey the invitation further. But what you mentioned, that it’s a strong start in office, I think it’s very much the fact that the Romanian people themselves have proven to be so clear in the path that they see ahead, not just towards the European Union, but also in the transatlantic partnership. And the work that the Romanians have done for so many years puts Romania in a place where now it is also respected and influent in what is happening in the region. And I think that work for so many years now, those friendships that we have created in the world, are also essential factors now that allow Romanians to feel safe, to feel confident, and to make sure that we take on more leadership in what we need to build together in the region, because I think Romania is needed now, maybe more than in other moments in time, and I’m grateful to do my part in that, in serving that.

Peter Rough:

Amen to that. And let’s end this with a nice round of applause for the minister.