Romania’s President Nicușor Dan explained Tuesday why the country won’t be joining the Peace Council convened by Donald Trump just yet, but clarified his country’s role as an observer at the organization’s inaugural meeting this Thursday.
The President stated that immediate membership in Trump’s Peace Council could potentially conflict with Romania’s existing obligations to the European Union.
“There are two different things here. First, the charter and membership status – that discussion will continue given that the organization already has a charter signed by member states. And that charter contains provisions that contradict international commitments Romania has made. Members of this organization intend to jointly impose sanctions, but Romania has an obligation to the European Union regarding any sanctions it might impose on a country or economic operator. Obviously, we are serious people; we cannot sign something that violates an obligation we have already undertaken. These discussions could take some time.”
He continued, “a working meeting of the Board of Peace is currently taking place, and after receiving an invitation, we requested further clarification regarding what a non-member state can do while still aligning with the direction of this organization. After a few days of discussions with the American side, we decided it was in Romania’s interest to participate as an observer.”
Dan explained what Romania’s observer role at Thursday’s Council meeting entails.
“It means having a say, contributing to the direction this organization is taking. The decisions of this committee are not binding; you can say you do not support a particular decision.”
Discussions about the Gaza Strip at the First Peace Council Meeting
According to the President, the first meeting “will exclusively discuss Gaza.”
“All international issues are more or less connected. So, we are interested in an international context of peace in all regions of the globe. We are very interested in maintaining our privileged relationship with the United States of America, which is an vital security pillar for Romania. And we are participating in this initiative, launched by the United States, which currently aims to stabilize a region, the Middle East, which is important to the global economy.”
“We have, on the one hand, a ceasefire agreement, and a UN resolution that somehow provides directions for how Gaza and the region will look in the future. We are going to a discussion to see what the next steps on the ground are, whether we are talking about humanitarian aid, interior police forces, or, in a later context, international peacekeeping forces,” Dan stated.
“Romania’s Presence Will Clarify the True Bilateral Relationship Between Romania and the U.S.”
Dan believes Romania’s presence at the Peace Council will clarify the “true” bilateral relationship between Romania and the U.S.
“The message, in my opinion, is very important. There have been certain, how shall I say, doubts, perhaps mistrust, after the canceled elections, on the part of the American administration towards this entire context. I believe Romania’s presence, through its president, helps to clarify, once and for all, both diplomatically and to citizens, what the true bilateral relationship between Romania and the United States is,” he said.
He noted that the cancellation of the elections “is not a usual occurrence in a democracy,” but appreciated that “things are clear at the moment.”
Regarding possible bilateral discussions, the President clarified that, for the time being, no such meeting is planned.
“There might be an incidental salon discussion, so to speak. For the moment, a bilateral discussion with an agenda is not planned,” Dan said.
When asked if he had consulted with any European capitals before participating in the Peace Council, the President replied: “Of course, we do that all the time.”
Nicușor Dan will travel to the United States this Thursday for the first meeting of the Peace Council convened by Trump.
Editor : C.L.B.
