Exclusive: Mircea Geoană talks about the tasks of the new Romanian Ambassador to the United States

Mircea Geoană, long considered to have been the only person admired by the Americans – of all Romanian diplomatic representatives in the U.S – offered some piece of advice to the new ambassador of Romania to the United States, via Q Magazine.

Iulian Buga is our new ambassador to Washington. His designation was made on Wednesday, 16^th of October, by President Traian Băsescu.

Buga received in June the favorable vote at the hearings in the Foreign Policy Committees of the Romanian Parliament. The official decree of his appointment by the President was delayed until he received the agrement from the White House.

The United States is the main political partner and key ally of Romania in most of the important objectives of our national security. The United States played a key role in the succes of Romania’s efforts to emerge from the area of uncertainty created in Eastern Europe after the breaking of the socialist camp and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Romania’s NATO accession also opened the doors of the European Union with all the strategic, political and economic benefits, to name a few. In the process of accession, the Rule of Law of strenghtened and important steps were made in the fight against corruption.

This thoughtful and constant support provided to our country as a ʺyoung democracyʺ by “the most powerful democracy in the world” made Romania more transparent and more attractive for business and investment.

Romania, in turn, has supported all U.S. international initiatives, joined the U.S in its international efforts to fight against international terrorism – including participation in military operations from Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Over the two past decades, since the change in 1989, the position of Ambassador to Washington was a career peak  for any Romanian diplomat – only the best  of the best have achieved it. To many of them, the way to the most important positions in the state has been subsequently opened.

Mircea Geoană is – according to many American analysts– the best ambassador that Romania had in Washington since 1989. He is, without any doubt, the best suited to advise Iulian Buga, who was worked with Mircea Geoană while he was representing our country in the USA.

˝I worked with Iulian Buga for more than four years in our team in Washington. He coordinated the relationship with the U.S. Congress, where he acquired useful skills and important contacts. He has the capacity to interact with the most diverse environments, from the Romanian-American community, to the economic, academic and media environments, all so influential in the decision-making process in Washington. He stood by me in the campaign for NATO accession and at the inception of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnerhip. He is a great choice” declared  Geoană for Q Magazine.

Reffering to Buga’s first failed attempt to be sent to Washington  as ambassador in 2007, when he did not receive the approval of the President, Mircea Geoană specified that: ,,Perhaps the President “re-evalued” Iulian Buga in between. I am convinced that there were other reasons, unrelated to the professional skills of the Ambassador.

Mircea Geoană draws attention to the heavy mission that any Romanian ambassador will have in Washington, meaning that he will always be compared to both his predecessors and current peers. “We had excellent ambassadors in the main capital of the world. Sorin Ducaru is a very good example, and the recent position to NATO confirms his performance as ambassador to Washington and Bruxelles’’ said Geoană, whose main advice for Buga is “to leave no stone unturned in the pavement of influences in the United States”.

Geoană knows that this no easy job. A successful ambassador to Washington should not lack ,,dynamism and originality’’.

,,There are many good ambassadors of the more than 150 countries represented in Washington. The competition for influence and access is very intense. With talent, perseverance and hard work, an ambassador from a smaller country can be more influential than the “market share” of the country he represents.”

However, Mircea Geoană is aware of the fact that relationship with the U.S. will not only depend on Buga’s performance, however well he would handle it in Washington: ,,Every structure of the state is important in the relation with a great power, in this case, the main world power. It is important that the effort of diplomacy, political establishment, military and intelligence areas to intensely work  and in the same direction. Without the Armed Forces  and Intelligence, Romania would not have been able to become such an important ally for the U.S. It is imperative that the economic, scientific and academic dimensions of our partnership to be at at the same level as the strategic one and put our full potential to work.’’

Another advice that Geoană offers to Buga is to speak and to make himself heard without any complex: ,,It is an obvious asymmetry of power between the two countries. This does not mean that you have to be quiet when your national interest requires it. And one more thing: you need to have connections in the American press, to be heard when you talk.”

Regarding the upcoming high-level visit of Prime Minister Victor Ponta to the United States, Mircea Geoană puts it in a broader strategic context. “Every high level visit should lead the Strategic Partnership with the U.S at least one step further. There are many concrete steps which the Prime Minister visit will bring in all sizes of the Romanian-American and the transatlantic relation as a whole. I anticipate many important actions that will follow this visit which I support and encourage.”

Without the Armed Forecs and Intelligence, Romania would not have been able to become such an important ally for the U.S.

Iulian Buga is a career diplomat, occupying positions over time both in MFA and as diplomatic representative:  Coordinator of the North American Department of the Foreign Office (1991-2001), General Consul of Romania in Los Angeles, minister  counselor at the Romanian Embassy in Washington. As ambassador, Buga represented Romania in the Netherlands (2001-2007) and Ireland (2009-2013). Also, another important position held by Buga was as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (2007 – 2009).

The White House released the agrement for Buga as ambassador to the U.S, last month, during the visit of Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlățean to Washington. Prior to Buga, the position of Romania’s ambassador to the U.S. was occupied by Adrian Cosmin Vierița.