National Day is an opportunity to reaffirm national consciousness and unity, the Romanian nation’s vision and fundamental goals, foreign policy goals included, Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu writes in his National Day message, according to Agerpres.

„On the occasion of Romania’s National Day, I send wishes of good health and prosperity to all Romanians. National Day is a fundamental landmark for all of us, whether we are in the country or abroad, a moment of remembrance of the historical act of December 1, 1918. Regardless of the difficulty of the times we live in, this day is an opportunity to reaffirm national consciousness and unity, the Romanian nation’s vision and fundamental goals, foreign policy goals included,” Aurescu states.

He also notes that, in a difficult international context marked by the illegal, unjustified and unprovoked aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Romania’s response in support of its neighbor, Ukraine, and Ukrainian citizens, was firm and multidimensional „in accordance with the democratic values we support, with the norms of international law and the rules-based international order we actively promote.”

„Romania’s action in this context didn’t go unnoticed by the international community; on the contrary, it gave us an even stronger profile as an active, responsible and solidary state. All our efforts to help Ukraine were possible thanks to the solidarity of all Romanians, which once again proves that the Romanian society has the maturity, strength and determination needed to overcome even the most difficult crises. In addition, unlike previous moments in our history, today’s Romania does not stand alone in the face of these difficulties. Romania is part of the strongest collective security alliance – NATO, and part of the European Union, a space of democratic values and fundamental rights, of shared prosperity and culture,” Aurescu points out.

Proof of the confidence enjoyed by Romania in this context and of its importance at regional level are, among others, Bucharest’s successfully hosting for the first time the meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers on November 29-30, 2022, as well as the Munich Leaders Meeting, a prestigious event which constitutes the small format of the Munich Security Conference, the message of the Foreign Affairs Minister shows.

„In 2022 we also marked 160 years since the establishment of Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry – 160 years of modern Romanian diplomacy. Keeping as a benchmark the activity of diplomats who contributed to the foundation of a united, democratic and modern Romania, the diplomatic action and conduct remain dedicated to the same fundamental goal of protecting and promoting the values, interests and goals of our country and the well-being and security of our citizens. Defending the fundamental rights of out-of-country Romanian citizens, including those related to identity, language, conscience, is part of the mandate of Romanian diplomacy. In this sense, strengthening dialogue and ties with members of the Romanian communities is a priority line of action for Romanian diplomacy, including by providing efficient consular services and supporting the promotion of the values of our cultural and spiritual identity,” Aurescu says.

According to him, National Day is the moment when we have the duty to honor the memory of all those who contributed to Romania becoming what it is today, respectfully remembering the will and skill of those who made the achievement of the national ideal possible, and letting these milestones guide us towards accomplishing the current goals, with hope and confidence in the future we are building together.

Agerpres