“America?s New Allies” - Address by H.E. Adrian Nastase Prime Minister of Romania At The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies - Tuesday, October 30th, 2001

Dr. Brzezinski, thank you for your kind words and let me tell you how honored I am to be introduced by such a respected statesman. You led the fight for freedom in Europe during the most difficult years of the Cold War, and have provided leadership and good counsel to the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe since the Fall of the Berlin Wall. I am honored to share the stage with you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am deeply honored to be here at the School of Advanced International Studies of the John Hopkins University, and I am grateful to my hosts for giving me the chance to address you in this prestigious setting.

It is now often remarked that September 11 dramatically changed our world. But I wonder how fully we appreciate the depth of this change and recognize that a new and stronger Trans-Atlantic Alliance has begun to emerge from the carnage in New York and Washington. A new alliance is being built to defend our common values and to fight terrorism.

On September 12, the NATO allies invoked Article V for the first time in history, declaring that this attack on the United States had to be regarded as an attack on all countries in the Atlantic Alliance. Later the same day, the European democracies aspiring to join NATO, the so-called Vilnius Ten, made a similar commitment to the United States, to the war on terrorism and to the defense of our common values.

Without the pressure of treaty or law, the democracies of Central and Eastern Europe freely chose to act as allies by assuming the central obligation of NATO -- Article V -- that an attack on any member of the Euro-Atlantic community is an attack on all of us.

The new democracies that have taken root in Europe since the collapse of communism, including my country, have not only expressed political solidarity with the United States and NATO in the war against terrorism. We have also provided concrete support to military operations. We have opened our airspace, airfields and port facilities to Allied forces. We committed our intelligence assets and search and rescue personnel to the campaign. And we are working with the United States and the European Union to freeze financial assets linked to terrorist groups and to deny terrorists all access to Europe. We volunteered to provide additional forces to support NATO Forces deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo. In my view, a new alliance emerged from September 11th when the 19 NATO allies and 10 new democracies as de facto allies came together for a shared purpose.

There were visionaries among us who foresaw this evolution. President Bush in his historic speech at Warsaw University last June told us that: “Europe and America are united in a great alliance of liberty”. He accurately predicted that all of Europe?s new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, would ultimately contribute to the preservation of freedom and security in the Euro-Atlantic space. Sadly, we were called upon to make this contribution sooner than anyone could have known and in response to an evil difficult to envision.

President Havel observed in his inspiring speech in Bratislava that further expanding NATO would finally dismantle Cold War divisions in Europe while creating a stronger defense of values, aspirations and security. There has indeed been no division among the NATO allies and the Europe?s new democracies in responding to the new threats of the 21st century. And, now even a closer and more constructive relationship between NATO and Russia is clearly within reach.

We now know that the Trans-Atlantic community of democratic nations is larger than the NATO family and it is also more united and resolved than we might have anticipated. Europe?s new democracies have joined the fight against terrorism with concrete contributions. All V-10 countries opened their air and land facilities to U.S. and allied traffic, shared intelligence, froze financial assets linked to terrorist groups, and pledged military forces.

These actions should come as a surprise to no one. We have already doing this in Bosnia and Kosovo.
· During the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia joined with Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary in deploying peacekeeping forces to support the implementation of the Dayton Accords.
· During NATO campaign against ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, Romania and Bulgaria created an air corridor for NATO and committed their air traffic and airport facilities to allied forces.

Europe?s new democracies are already de facto Allies. Two days after September 11, Romania and Bulgaria simultaneously offered air corridors, intelligence, special rescue forces, and support in international fora to US diplomatic and military actions against terrorism.

This coordinated initiative was overwhelmingly endorsed by both national Parliaments, and the entire political spectrum of public opinion. Let me give you a sense of exactly what happened in Romania:
· September 14 was declared a day of national mourning and solidarity with the American people.
· All religious denominations in Romania joined in their prayers and in services across the country for the victims of the terrorist attacks.
· Flags were flown at half - mast and a moment of silence was held throughout Romania.
· Thousands of people -- children and adults, working people and students -- marched in solidarity to Bucharest?s University Square, a symbolic venue of the Romanians? fight and triumph over the terror of communism;
· Romanians gathered at the US Embassy in Bucharest to convey their deepest sympathy to the American people and their solidarity in the war ahead of us.
· President Iliescu and I joined these processions. I think this poster sums up our feelings: “Romanians are New Yorkers”.

The Road to the Prague Summit

Before turning to Romania, I should tell you that we would not be as far along on the path to reform were it not for the political union between the new democracies that occurred in Vilnius, Bratislava and Sofia. The commitment expressed by the NATO candidate countries at Vilnius in May 2000, to work cooperatively to achieve the goal of a Europe whole and free, has given rise to fundamentally changed behavior in the politics of Central and Eastern Europe. We now have a political pattern based upon solidarity among Europe?s new democracies and a strong focus on performance within the Membership Action Plan. The Vilnius countries are committed to working together not only on military interoperability, but also towards progress on individual liberty, market reform and the rule of law.

When I was with Prime Minister Dzurinda in Bratislava, in May 2001, I was struck by the depth of the spirit of Vilnius Ten solidarity. I was profoundly moved by President Havel?s message: that all NATO aspirants are credible candidates and that the forthcoming NATO Summit in 2002 could well be the final step in dismantling the Iron Curtain (by issuing a comprehensive invitation to all qualified countries).

When President Illiescu joined the other leaders of Europe?s new democracies in Sofia, on October 5 this year, he was heartened by the messages conveyed by Lord Robertson and President Bush: that “the logic of NATO expansion continues” and that US supports NATO membership for all Europe?s new democracies, “from the Baltic to the Black Sea”.

And I totally agree with Dr. Brzezinski, that there is “grand opportunity to make Prague a Summit of enlargement on a historic scale”.

Europe?s new democracies are indeed reliable allies in countering the new threats to the Trans-Atlantic and worldwide security: terrorism, trans-border crime and ethnic or religious intolerance. After the hardships of communism, our unwavering commitment to pluralistic democracy, free markets, respect for human rights and the rule of law, to good relations with our neighbors and a firm commitment to EU and NATO integration defines our national identity. - our European identity. With our mixed religious and ethnic populations, we are a bridge between the West and the Islamic World. While we believe that the democracies of Southeastern Europe have a significant contribution to make to European security, we are firmly committed to the integration of the Baltic and Central European countries in NATO. Each of us has a unique role to play in fostering stability, security and freedom from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

More concretely, each V-10 country can further strengthen its “value added” to NATO by enhancing cooperation in fighting terrorism. Romania looks forward to the anti-terrorism Summit organized by the President of Poland, Alexander Kwasniewski. We are also looking forward to working with the other V -10 candidate countries in the fight against terrorism, ready to implement concrete measures prior to the V-10 Prime Ministerial in Bucharest, on March 21-22, 2002.

The journey from Vilnius to Prague traverses the whole area of Central and Eastern Europe from Baltic to the Black Sea. It is important for the stability of both Europe and the Alliance that all the regions with candidate countries be represented in the upcoming process of enlargement. As a country with similar historic experiences with the Baltic states generated by the secret pacts of World War Two, Romania fully believes that no red lines should be drawn in further expanding NATO. The Baltic dimension of NATO enlargement makes moral and strategic sense. As countries with consolidated democratic systems and free market economies, both Slovakia and Slovenia?s presence in the Alliance would best serve the promotion of NATO?s values, objectives and strategic unity in Central Europe.

I know you are here to learn about Romania and its place in the Southern dimension of making Europe whole and free. In some quarters, there is a perception that this part of Europe is too complicated, or not so important and that NATO should leave it for further enlargement decisions. To those I say: Romania is on the frontline of conflicts in Southeastern Europe, with territory, with troops and with tenacity. The tenacity of pursuing reform and consolidating democracy at home, while promoting regional peace, cooperation and stability. NATO will benefit when Romania joins the Alliance.

It is true that we in the Southeastern Europe had to contend most with ghosts of the past, the perceptions of the “powder keg” of Europe, with protracted inter-ethnic clashes and insidious trans-border crime. In spite of this, Romania and Bulgaria have worked together with regional NATO allies, Greece and Turkey, as well as with other countries to overcome this difficult heritage:
· We took part in the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo;
· The NGOs in our countries have and are supporting the consolidation of democracy in the Former Yugoslavia;
· Eleven countries have set up, with US support, a Regional Center against Trans-border Crime, headquartered in Bucharest. It includes NATO and EU members such as Greece, Turkey and Hungary. In one year of operation, it has begun dismantling human trafficking networks in the region, and it has helped to capture 30 criminals involved in drug and weapons trafficking. Right now, it is working on cases related to customs fraud, trafficking in persons and drugs. This regional law enforcement center becomes even more important in the context of the ongoing war against terrorism.

Thus, the Southeastern Europe brings a real value to Euro-Atlantic security and should be represented, together with the North, in the next round of enlargement. By including a Southern dimension to NATO enlargement, a ring of stability and democracy would encircle the Former Yugoslavia. NATO would further benefit from the valuable multinational effort to quell networks of trans-border crime.

This year, Romania has had a special responsibility as the OSCE Chair-in-Office. This tested our ability to coordinate regional efforts on the OSCE agenda. We are grateful to all the OSCE member countries, and especially the United States, for having entrusted us with this responsibility and for their support throughout the year. We have been proud to learn from Lord Robertson, the Secretary General of NATO, and Mr. Javier Solana, High Representative for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, in working to restore stability to Macedonia. My Foreign Minister, Mircea Geoana, has dedicated a lot of energy to OSCE issues. I think he has done a great job and this is the only reason I have accepted his absence at half of our Cabinet meetings. But this has been worthwhile and we are now preparing for the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Bucharest, on December 3-4.

Bucharest is not that far from Prague

Now, let me turn to state of Romanian reform and development.

All Europe?s new democracies have had a difficult transition to mature democracy, but only one country has had to labor under the burden of Ceausescu?s bleak legacy. His regime succeeded only in diverting Romania from its natural path. The Ceaucescu bequest to our generation was no private property, total collapse of civil society, economic ruin and no freedom of speech, assembly, press or religion.

In 1989 we had a long way to go and a very difficult transition in front of us. We made early mistakes and we missed some opportunities. Nevertheless, we did not give up, but we did learn.

We have had three fully democratic elections with two peaceful exchanges of power. We have developed democratic and free market institutions, and worked to consolidate the rule of law. 70% of GDP now stems from private enterprise. We have begun negotiations for integration into the EU. We are active member in good standing of the Partnership for Peace and well along in our Membership Action Plan for NATO.

We have learned from our V-10 friends the spirit of solidarity, from NATO allies the commitment to defending common values and the value of good neighborly relations. From Poland, we have learned the challenges a large country faces in implementing reforms. From the OSCE we have learned the intricacies of responsible regional leadership. There is much to do but I would like to share what has already been done.

On the economic front, Romania is in its second year of healthy economic expansion with 4.9% growth in the first 10 months of 2001 and 1.6% in 2000. The World Bank statistics show 10.8% growth in industrial output and 15.4% rise in exports. Major privatization deals have been concluded: Banca Agricola and SIDEX, the largest steel factory in Eastern Europe, through a $ 500 million deal with the Indian - British consortium Ispat, the 4th world steel producer. I was very pleased that British Prime Minister Tony Blair, heralded this privatization as a major step forward in restructuring the Romanian economy. He stated that this reform would stimulate the additional foreign direct investment and put Romania more firmly on the road towards European Integration.

A new stand-by agreement has been reached with the IMF, after a set of complex negotiations. We have assumed responsibilities and continued action toward speeding up the difficult, but necessary reforms. Later today I will meet Horst Koehler, the IMF Managing Director, to review the agreement and discuss future plans. And I am confident that the stand - by agreement will be formally endorsed by the IMF Board on Wednesday, October 31.

The IT sector is one of the most vibrant in our economy. An income tax exemption for IT professionals and software park legislation enacted this year support their growth. My IT Minister Dan Nica will visit Virginia Tech and conduct a demonstration supported by US Trade and Development Agency. Tomorrow, before the US Chamber of Commerce, I will witness the signing of two significant deals between Romania and two American companies. Harris Inc. will provide technical equipment for modernizing the Romanian radio-communication capacities, and Qualcom will develop 3G new wireless data communication technology.

On military reform, we have increased the defense budget by 10% over the last year, accounting for 2.4% of GDP. We have reduced the Romanian military by half while doubling the spending per soldier, thereby producing a qualitative change in the readiness, morale and capability of our armed forces. Structural shift in the military, through reduction of high-ranking officers and the increase in the number of NCO?s is well under way and will be completed by 2003. The Status of Forces Agreement between Romania and the US, the legal framework for the transit of US forces through Romania, has been concluded and will be signed later today when I meet with Secretary Powell.

Tolerance, democracy and respect for individual freedoms are values that we hold dear and to which we pay unwavering commitment. We are determined to come to terms with the past and extirpate Anti-Semitism and extreme nationalism from our society. A Holocaust education course will be introduced at the National Defense College. Holocaust issues will be taught in colleges and elementary schools. A law banning any symbol or manifestation associated with personalities who committed war crimes will be enacted. On June 23, President Iliescu had a strong statement condemning Marshal Antonescu as a “war criminal”. I am personally committed to removing all remaining statues of Marshall Antonescu.

Jewish life is a part of Romania?s evolution and we take pro-active approach to recognize Romania?s Jewish Heritage through programs to be developed with the support of the World Bank. Thirty-three synagogues have been legally protected as historical and architectural monuments. I ordered an inventory of all Jewish cemeteries, which resulted in the identification of 786 cemeteries. A law will be drafted to include them in the national patrimony.

We have continued to improve inter-ethnic relations, by allowing for the use of native language in areas where ethnic populations are more than 20%. Representation in the Parliament is ensured by law for each ethnic minority, irrespective of election results. Inter-ethnic cooperation has had tangible political results. For my party - which does not have a parliamentary majority on its own. Due to the protocol concluded this year with the Hungarian Democratic Union, we have been able to pass through Parliament dozens of pieces of legislation initiated by Government.

A 4-year Action Plan on improving the situation of the Roma population has been adopted this year and will be implemented with EU assistance. So far, Roma experts have been employed in each Prefect?s Office, and Roma citizens have been appointed at the head of the National Office for Roma population and as presidential counselor for Roma issues.

I personally expressed commitment to cut domestic sources and transit routes of human trafficking in Romania. A new anti-trafficking law was proposed by the Government, approved by our House of Representatives and awaits Senate action. With strong FBI support, we have also had 106 arrests this year. Last week, a major arrest took place in Romania, through a team effort of the Romanian and Macedonian Police, FBI and the SECI Regional Center for Combating Trans-border Crime: it involved the head of a trafficking network responsible for 90% of the trafficking of women towards Macedonia from Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Romania. It was the biggest blow against trafficking through Romania so far. A shelter for victims of trafficking is operational within the National Bureau for Refugees, with support of the International Office for Migration.

We are still in a major battle with corruption, a fight that I am personally committed to win. We have tried in the past to curb corruption in Government and commerce but with limited results. That is why my Government is taking steps to strengthen current governmental and law enforcement institutions. Assets of judges and police officers are closely monitored following a program launched in June this year. 195 people were convicted for corruption in the first 4 months of 2001, including numerous public officials. The magistrate status has been revoked for two judges, on grounds of corruption. We are committed to working together with the US and EU in consolidating real progress in this critical area.

Child welfare and freeing the system of international adoptions from corruption are additional challenges and priorities. The two Protocols to the UN Convention on children rights, regarding children involvement in armed conflicts and children trafficking, prostitution and pornography have been ratified by the Romanian Parliament. The latter has already entered into force. My representative here has just signed, on October 19, an inter-governmental agreement with USAID for improving child welfare. We very much appreciate US Government support and continued partnership with USAID. Some 10.000 children will be de-institutionalized by the end of 2001 with EU assistance. Forty child welfare institutions will be restructured by the end of 2002.

We declared a moratorium on adoptions in order to clean up the system. We would like to move our focus to the human dimension - the welfare of the children. We are working closely with European and American experts to finalize new legislation on adoptions and to implement a new mechanism, which will center on the child?s best interest, and not on the interest of those who profit from adoption transactions.

I am aware we need to redouble our efforts to overcome the delays and further improve our performance. But we are committed and confident that, through our own efforts and with the support of the US and other allies, we will succeed in consolidating Romania as an anchor of stability radiating trans-Atlantic values eastwards.

Romania is proud to host the next V-10 Summit in March 2002. By that time, we will be further along in the preparation for the Spring MAP submissions to NATO and thus much closer to the Prague Summit. President Bush, President Havel, Lord Robertson and Dr. Brzezinski have clearly defined the objectives for Romania and the other Vilnius countries. It now is up to us to make it happen.

I believe as others have said that for Romania and the other democracies of Central Europe, the Prague Summit will be a rendez - vous with history. I am here to tell you that Bucharest is not that far from Prague. Romania will be at that rendez - vous.