Romanian Diplomat: US, one of Romania’s most important strategic partners

The United States of America is one of Romania’s most important strategic partners, and certainly the most important one from the point of view of the defense; bilateral relations between Romania and the US are now at the highest level and the Strategic Partnership – to reach 21 years on July 11, 2018 – aims to bring to the same level the cultural, academic, economic and commercial dimensions, Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, Cosmin Dumitrescu, told Radio Romania News (RRA).

In order to build a significant international profile, Romania needs to increase its visibility. This is best done through public diplomacy, a relatively new concept in diplomacy, alongside energy, economic, and social media, which has proved extraordinarily profitable to promote one country’s image. Public diplomacy means events that Romania can organize abroad, advertising its companies over here or ensuring a higher participation of the Romanian companies at international events.

According to RRA Reporter Diana Prodan (Şişu), these below are some of the specific goals of the US-Romania Strategic Partnership, as mentioned by Consul General Cosmin Dumitrescu:

- Promotion of the Romanian culture in the US, with the support of the governmental institutions, local authorities and Romanian communities in America.

- University co-operation at bilateral level. „We enourage and support direct initiatives, protocols, student and academic staf exchanging expertise, joint research”, General Consul said, adding that Romanian engineers and researchers are doing a very good job – without being helped – to promote Romania’s prestige in academic matters.

- Promotion of the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) from the National Research Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) in Bucharest-Măgurele, where there is a unique instrument on the whole planet – the laser and the gamma ray generator. „We know well that there is an absolutely extraordinary research component on the West Coast and I found interest from the American partners for this”.

- Strengthening the commercial-economic dimension – a priority of Romania’s foreign policy. Romania produces very good, natural and healthy foods, highly appreciated here. There are also major investments in Romania, originating from the West Coast (like Amazon, Viavi Solutions).

- Romanian IT specialists are absolutely remarkable. „Corroborating consular assistance information, such as granting visas to foreigners going to Romania from here, and the IT business, we see a direct link. There are not only Romanian specialists coming to work in the US, but also US companies establishing headquarters in Romania”.

- Promoting, through the Consulate, the governmental and business-related programs. „This interest is growing. And the level of growth I foresee for 2018, compared to 2017, is at least 15% (..) And if we can support from here in Los Angeles, from the Mission, setting up three-four-five thousand jobs a year in Romania, we are very happy”.

„We often organize Economic Forums, or participate at economic fairs that other companies or institutions organize. We take over information from these forums and deliver them to Romania, either directly at employers or through government institutions; all of this information spreads to each business sector. A large number of Romanian companies will come here on the West Coast in September - an economic mission organized mainly in Romania by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania. We also organize Economic Missions, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce or of the regional employers' organizations in Romania. We had a very important Economic Mission on Agriculture at the most important agricultural fair in America in April, which was highly appreciated by the US Department of Commerce. The officials here were very pleasantly impressed not only by the scope of the mission but also by the interest of the Romanian companies and their potential - both financial and productive. By bringing economic missions from Romania, American partners understand the exact scope of Romanian business. Now we are talking about powerful companies that are serious partners for any other company in the world. Potential remains very high, because Romanian economy is growing very fast. (..) So, economic forums, economic missions that we bring from here to Romania, American companies - whether operating in the field of defense, IT or aerospace, where Romania offers extraordinary expertise. On the US West Coast, the aerospace industry is very solid, but Romania too offers highly-skilled know-how and workforce in the field - consider the experience Romania already has with companies like Boeing and Airbus. We have this potential for developing business and direct co-operation without costs for implementation.

Romanian business-people can come to us with an open heart, without the reluctance that many still have with the concept of Consulate or Embassy. We are very pragmatic, very open. Most of us, whether from Bucharest, the country or from here in the US, remain very surprised by the open manner in which we discuss with them and how we help and support them (..) Best way to communicate with us is by e-mail or through our colleagues in Bucharest. Requests sent to a Consulate or Embassy never remain unanswered. We encourage all business people to use all of our e-mail contacts, losangeles@mae.ro, with confidence and openness towards an institution that really wants and is committed to supporting the Romanian business environment.

I would also love to see that Romanians who came here and set up companies on the East Coast - especially in Silicon Valley but also in Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Oregon, Washington State, Utah – go and grow their business in Romania too. It is one of the goals of our mission - to remind and inform not only the American business environment, but also the Romanian-American one, in reference to how friendly the Romanian business environment is, how the Romanian economy has developed and how good the conditions are for any kind of business development in Romania. Many remain surprised, but after going to Romania, they find out that these things are real and that extraordinary business can be done with a fantastic entry gate to a 500 million-strong market across the European Union.

I have previously had the privilege and honor to represent Romania in Italy and Spain, as Head of the Consulates in Trieste and Catsellon de la Plana and I pride myself in having reached success, which is probably why the Romanian State decided to send me over here in Los Angeles, where about two hundred thousand Romanians live. I have had the pleasure of working very well with Radio Romania during my mission in Italy and Spain, and I thank you very much for your interest in informing the public opinion both in Romania and abroad, regarding the activity of the Romanian Consular Offices”, Consul General Cosmin Dumitrescu undelined in the interview offered for Radio Romania News (RRA).

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei