THE BLACK SEA REGION
Advancing Freedom, Democracy and Regional Stability

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be in the United States, a great partner and friend of the Romanian people, for the first time as President of my country. I am also glad to be the first leader of our region to visit Washington after the European tour of President Bush, aimed at consolidating the Trans-Atlantic relationship.

During my meeting today with President Bush, I assured him that Romania will remain a strong European ally of the United States. We also discussed issues stemming from the Euro-Atlantic agenda, focusing on what Romania considers to be the next milestone in advancing freedom, democracy and regional stability: the Black Sea region.

A new identity for the Black Sea region
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The enlargement of NATO and EU has brought the Euro-Atlantic community to the Western coast of the Black Sea. From our perspective, a new conceptual framework is now needed for changing the perception that the Black Sea region is the periphery of Europe and acknowledging its new geo-political feature as an interface towards Central Asia and the Middle East.
This year represents a particular relevant time for a renewed and fresh approach to the Black Sea area. The advance of democracy and freedom in the world produced some remarkable results, through the Rose Revolution in Georgia, in December 2003 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, just a couple of months ago. Romania proved to be a vibrant and consolidated democracy, conducting general elections that determined, against many odds, a third democratic alternation to power. That process offered me the opportunity to be elected, at the end of last year, as the new President of Romania. Interesting enough, the color under which our Alliance won the elections was also orange.

All these evolutions show an optimistic picture of democracy taking root all over the Black Sea region. 15 years after the democratic changes swept the East European countries, we now have a new momentum to advance the process beyond Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. We need to stay focused and determined in encouraging other countries in the region to embark in a democratization process.

Furthermore, in the new geo-strategic landscape of the Black Sea, there is a clear link among the Trans-Atlantic community, represented by the NATO countries, the former Soviet countries and the Middle East region. It is an area whose political, economic and military relevance has been tested during the war against terrorism, when several countries, like Romania, Bulgaria, or Ukraine offered a valuable and concrete contribution. As you may know, Romania offered its air space and access to military facilities, in addition to providing troops on the ground – over 2,000 military – in Afghanistan, Iraq and in peace-keeping missions in the Western Balkans.

Having in mind these facts, it comes with no surprise why we consider fastening democratic gains and promoting security in our neighborhood as Romania’s strategic priority.

Living for decades under the toughest dictatorial regime in Eastern Europe, Romania understands all to well the challenges of institutional and economic rebuilding. That’s why we are committed to help bringing democracy and democratic institutions to nations in need.

A strategy for the region
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Romania is engaged in a strategic partnership with the United States. We consider this special relation crucial for the regional security and for promoting democracy in our immediate neighborhood. Located on the West of the Black Sea and at the mouth of the Danube, Romania is a key gate of the Trans-Atlantic community to the Black Sea area. As part of Europe, we feel we have a responsibility to use our potential for the good of our democratic community and to serve as a bridge between Europe and the Caucasus.

We strongly support the European Union efforts, through the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), which invites our neighbors to the East and to the South to share in the peace, stability and prosperity enjoyed in the European Union countries. ENP aims to create a ring of friends around the borders of the new enlarged EU.

The next challenge is the formulation of a common Euro-Atlantic strategy for the Black Sea region. Geographically and historically, the region between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, including the South Caucasus, is inseparable from Europe.

A cradle and crossroads of civilizations as well as an object of conflicts throughout history, the Black Sea-Caucasus region has now entered a new historical phase. Its geo-strategic location makes the Black Sea an indispensable part of Euro-Atlantic security and prosperity. That is why it is so important that we develop the right common strategy.

Security challenges
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Many of the transnational threats facing Europe emit from this region. Too much of the reality of the Black Sea basin is shaped by economic stagnation, insecure and unsecured borders, organized crime activities and frozen conflicts. We cannot leave the countries of this region as victims of European history, as unstable borderlands outside Eastern Europe.

This is the reason for which I stand before you today, seeking enhanced US, EU, NATO, and OSCE involvement in this region. In her own right, Romania will build bridges - not defensive shields - by promoting freedom, democracy, prosperity and stability in the Black Sea region.

Renewed energy should be devoted to finding lasting solutions for the “frozen conflicts” in Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. The persistence of lawless “black holes” threatens the security of Europe by spilling over organized crime, human and arms trafficking, and transnational terrorism.

Hands-on NATO-EU-OSCE engagement is crucial to spurring resolution of these conflicts. A firm stance from the international community on the CFE issue and the Istanbul commitments remains critical for the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Transnistria and Georgia, as solving these conflicts is in everyone’s interest.

Ukraine could also play a constructive role in achieving progress towards conflict resolution in Transnistria, a serious security issue at the Eastern border of the Euro – Atlantic community. We welcome the recent actions by Ukraine to deny the transit of commodities at the Ukrainian – Moldavian border without appropriate validation of the Moldovan authorities.

Considering the identity of language, culture and traditions, we see the European future of the Republic of Moldova as a moral obligation. Romania will support the positioning of the Republic of Moldova on the natural course of development related to the EU and we will continue to uphold its economic and social stability.

The results of the March 6th poll may serve to enhance the role of the Parliament in the democratic debate. The clear pro-European stance of the main contenders fuels high expectations for the next Administration in Chisinau. Beyond the electoral context, Moldovan public opinion will ultimately decide if the democratic evolutions are satisfactory. And when they shall choose to speak, we must listen carefully.

What can Romania do?
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Romania is committed to become a springboard for promoting the values of freedom and democracy in the Black Sea region. In this respect, we are prepared to participate in a Black Sea Trust Fund set up with the financial support of our American partners, USAID and German Marshall Fund, and with EU participation, which aims to support democratic developments in our neighborhood through public-private partnerships. In addition, we will continue to initiate projects under the auspices of “Community of Democracy” to embark Georgia and other countries into the Euro-Atlantic democratic community.

Moreover, Romania can significantly contribute to the fight against trans-border crime in the region. The Bucharest-based SECI Center for Combating Trans-border Crime has been a real success in strengthening cooperative regional efforts to share best practices, harmonize national legislations and yield concrete operational results in the South Eastern Europe and beyond. We are looking forward to fostering this initiative and to promoting it as a model for other areas such as Caucasus and Central Asia to enhance the regional cooperation aimed at curbing trafficking in persons and narcotics, financial crime, arms’ smuggling, and financing sources for terrorism.

Taking into consideration the unconventional security threats posed by the unstable situation in Transnistria, we pay particular attention to strengthening the border control.

We are determined to anchor countries from the Black Sea region in result-oriented policies, including through practical simulation exercises, to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), enhance cooperation between Black Sea riparian countries in terms of strengthening border control and exchange of relevant information or intelligence on illegal activities related to WMD. One such concrete example is the “Border Defense Initiative” (BDI), known also as the “Black Sea Border Security Initiative”, launched last year in Bucharest. We sincerely hope that, aside from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine – the current participants to BDI -, other countries in the region would join this Initiative, including through participation to concrete activities such as simulation exercises focusing on nonproliferation issues

As a NATO member, Romania advocates for an active role of the Alliance in projecting stability and security in the Broader Black Sea Region and onwards.
NATO’s summit in Istanbul in June took a first important step towards charting a Black Sea strategy. Highlighting the region’s importance, it signaled NATO’s readiness to contribute to regional security and stability. The alliance’s Partnership for Peace program is moving its focus to the Caucasus and Central Asia. Therefore, we want to intensify our relations with PfP member states of the region to support their security and defense reform. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss this matter with President Yushchenko of Ukraine and President Shakasvili of Georgia and I stated our readiness to help. The US presence on the Black Sea shore would significantly strengthen the security of the whole region.

Economic opportunities
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Romania is looking for opportunities to cooperate with Black Sea countries on economic projects to ensure a lasting development of the region. We aim to revitalize BSEC regional cooperation and promote the free trade and facilitate the transportation in this area. Crucially, we need to develop alternative oil and gas pipelines and transport routes from the Caspian basin via the Black Sea region to the European Union. Making full use of the transit potential of the Black Sea region is essential, both to its economic and democratic development and to Europe’s energy supplies.

The civil society
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Were it not for the courageous voices of the people of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova freedom would not have been able to advance in the Black Sea region. Their civil societies have been the motor of change in the region and well deserve their place as the architects of reform. From our point of view, they will bridge the gap between core European nations that share the same set of values and the peoples of the same Europe, living in our immediate neighborhood and beyond. Let us stand by them as our present token to future generations.

Thank you for you attention.