Robust security cooperation is a vital part of the U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership, says the joint press release from the of the United States of America and Romania governments, after their fifth annual Strategic Partnership Dialogue in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2016.
This partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to democratic values – rule of law, open markets, respect for human rights, and people-to-people ties. The two Governments reaffirmed these principles and pledged to work together on a range of related issues.
The press release firstly mentions “the importance of continued efforts to promote democracy, rule of law, and good governance to maintain open, sustainable societies”. Immediately after comes the military cooperation in order to combat terrorism, and to increase cybersecurity.
The section dedicated to energy says that the United States and Romania remain committed to a more transparent, predictable, integrated, diverse, and competitive regional energy market. “We will prioritize sharing policy making and research expertise. We give particular attention to the realization of gas connectors between Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria, and between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, as well as to acceleration of the development of Black Sea off-shore reserves. A stable and transparent tax regime to enable long-term investment in Romania’s upstream sector is critical, as is developing sustainable energy programs to fight climate change and encourage investment in Romania’s advanced energy technology sectors”, the joint message says.
Further on, there are mentions related to trade and investment, as crucial dimensions of the Strategic Partnership: “We affirm our support for an ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement between the United States and the EU”. Finally, education, research and the U.S. Visa Waiver Program are mentioned as elements of common interest for the two parts.
The next meeting of the Annual Dialogue will be held at Bucharest, in 2017.