Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania: We have been witnessing unseen attacks against international norms and multilateralism even in our vicinity
Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu at annual Romanian diplomacy meeting: We have been witnessing unseen attacks against international norms and multilateralism even in our vicinity.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu on Monday stated that Romania's foreign affairs and diplomacy can and have the duty to continue to work as "a fundamental binder of the society."
"Unfortunately, we are currently dealing with a fluid global context, during a time of both open and hidden challenges, of fundamental repositioning, while the final configuration is very difficult to grasp and anticipate. The conflict zones have multiplied, the latent or frozen conflicts have gotten worse, instability and the conflict potential persist. We have been witnessing unseen attacks against international norms and multilateralism even in our vicinity. We are also dealing with (...) hybrid threats and a much more subtle instrument, with a proven efficiency, which erodes the resorts of the occidental society. In this context, and while thinking of the global trends that are being shaped right now, I can say with all the responsibility that we cannot afford to be divided as institutions, as foreign projection and as a society. Our foreign affairs and diplomacy can and have the duty to continue to work as a binder, a fundamental binder of the society and one of the engines of modernization, development and European and international affirmation of Romania," stated Melescanu, at the annual Meeting of the Romanian diplomacy.
Moreover, the Minister of Foreign Affairs specified that reform, modernization and development of the country were only possible as a result of the consensus of the entire political class on the objectives of Romania's integration with the NATO and the European Union.
"It was a consensus that was also rooted in the large support of the Romanian citizens. 15 years have passed since our integration with NATO and more than 10 years since we have become a member of the European Union. Romania has reached its historic objectives and benefits from a security and prosperity level unseen before," said Melescanu.
Moreover, he stated that the resources allotted to Romania's foreign affairs and diplomacy dimension are matching the level offered by our economy.
"We now have 171 diplomatic and consular offices, we helped develop the staff and we received a significant number of diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without reaching, however, the level of personnel that we had before the massive cut of 2010. The increasing needs, which also require a major involvement of our diplomacy in knowing the power and influence sources are increasingly more diverse and more sophisticated and its Romanian diplomacy's task to identify these sources in the accredited states, in order to have a deep understanding of the best options in terms of our country's reaction and Romania's adaptation to the new context and, especially, starting from the idea of the promotion of the national interests," said Melescanu.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to a great extent, the citizens do not know in detail what the Romanian diplomacy is doing and they "rely on perceptions, which are many times subjective."
"Communication between the diplomatic missions and the consular offices and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have to be one of the priority topics in your activity," Melescanu told the Romanian diplomats participants in the event.
