Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and guests,
For Romania, 1 December is our National Day—a moment when we celebrate the Great Union of 1918, the historic moment that brought together all Romanian provinces into one modern and unified state. Celebrating the National Day is a symbolic moment for our national unity and for the solidarity of Romanian society. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the values we believe in and that define us, and to highlight the path Romania follows with confidence toward freedom, security, and prosperity.
This year, we celebrate 61 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Pakistan— over six decades of friendship, mutual respect and steady cooperation. Our partnership has grown consistently across political, economic, cultural and academic fields, and we remain committed to deepening these bonds in the years ahead.
Over the past year, we have taken important steps to strengthen Romania’s presence in Pakistan. We opened the Romanian Honorary Consulate in Peshawar, and we are preparing to inaugurate new honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore.
I travelled extensively across Pakistan—Karachi, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and many other cities—to meet partners and boost our economic cooperation. These visits helped open new doors for trade, investment and business dialogue.
Together, we launched the first-ever Romania–Pakistan IT Forum, bringing over 100 companies from both countries into direct contact. This historic event sets the foundation for new partnerships in technology, innovation and digital transformation.
Also, our bilateral defence ties have also strengthened. High-level military exchanges in both directions have highlighted the depth of our cooperation and the solid, trusted partnership between our armed forces.
In the past year, our links have grown even stronger in people-to-people contacts, culture, media and education. Through new cultural events, academic partnerships and direct exchanges between our citizens, we have deepened the human dimension of our relationship—building understanding, friendship and lasting bridges between Romania and Pakistan.
In November, we celebrated the first edition of the Romanian Cultural Days in Pakistan. Through film screenings, art exhibitions and music concerts in Karachi and Islamabad, we showcased Romania’s diversity and strengthened people-to-people connections.
We also expanded academic cooperation. Partnerships between Romanian universities and institutions such as NUST, GIFT and NUTECH continue to grow. This year, we proudly opened the first Romanian language lectorate in Pakistan at NUML, and I am happy to welcome the new Romanian lecturer, Dr. Oana Ursache, amongst us.
Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear guests, today’s world is more multilateral than ever, reflecting that nations have the right to be sovereign and decide for themselves.
The regional context in Europe, the times we live in, the difficulties and risks do not change our direction and do not change our values. Our national objectives remain just as clear. They are closely linked to the safety and security of our citizens, to prosperity, and to economic growth.
In recent months, Russia has brought the war literally to Romania’s doorstep. Repeated drone attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Danube have triggered multiple alerts in our border regions, after drones repeatedly struck ships on the Ukrainian side.
Recent developments at NATO Allied and EU level – the launch of Eastern Sentry and the Eastern Flank Watch initiative with the Drone Wall, represent a concrete step in strengthening the security of the Eastern Flank. The numerous violations of Allied airspace – in Romania, Poland, Estonia, by Russian aircraft and drones, must not become the new normal.
As the Allied state with the longest border with Ukraine, Romania has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure the decisions and measures needed to strengthen collective deterrence and defence in the region. We continue to support Ukraine — as we have from the very first moments of the Russian aggression — in order to achieve a just and lasting peace and to put an end to the bloodshed.
In a challenging international environment, marked by multiple geopolitical shifts and deeply affected by the strategic threat posed by the Russian Federation, we remain firmly committed to defending our national interest, the fundamental values of the rule of law, freedom, and democracy, and to contributing to regional and international security. We are proud and determined to defend Romania’s sovereignty and independence — and we do not stand alone. We have Allies and partners alongside us, making us stronger, safer, and better protected. In turn, we remain a predictable and reliable partner, focused on delivering concrete and measurable results that benefit both our citizens and the wider international community to which we contribute.
The Republic of Moldova is part of the European family and Romania firmly supports its EU path. However, our partners in the Republic of Moldova continue to face multiple security challenges, including attempts at destabilization, part of the hybrid actions of the Russian Federation.
The era we live in, defined by rapid changes and evolving challenges, requires constant and dynamic adaptation. Yet our membership in the European Union, our membership in NATO, our Strategic Partnership with the United States, and our ongoing dialogue and cooperation with international partners remain constant and defining pillars of the work carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we celebrate Romania’s National Day and over six decades of diplomatic relations, we look back with pride at all that Romania and Pakistan have achieved together. Our friendship continues to grow stronger across culture, education, trade and security. I am confident that, by building on this solid foundation, we will continue to deepen our partnership and open new avenues of cooperation—towards an even brighter future for both our nations. Romania – Pakistan dosti zindabad!
