BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Țoiu, and U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, held talks regarding the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership, Trend reports.
The discussion reflected their shared commitment to deepening Romanian-American bilateral relations and reviewed the main areas of cooperation, the current status of joint projects, and future plans.
Both officials emphasized the importance of advancing the Romania–U.S. Strategic Partnership and continuing bilateral cooperation in priority fields such as security and defense, energy, and investment in innovation.
Minister Țoiu highlighted the excellent cooperation with the United States within NATO and bilaterally, as well as the crucial contribution of the U.S. military presence on Romanian soil to the security of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space. She pointed to the significant potential in defense industry co-production, which is beginning to materialize through concrete projects such as high-performance military radar systems and ammunition production.
Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu conveyed Romanian President Nicușor Dan’s appreciation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation for an official visit to Washington early next year. The Romanian foreign minister's visit to New York in September will enable further dialogue in preparation for the President’s visit.
Reflecting decisions made at the NATO Summit in The Hague, Romania has taken steps to strengthen its defense budget, enhance national capabilities, improve host-nation support for allied troops stationed on its territory, and contribute to NATO’s deterrence and defense objectives on the Eastern Flank.
Special emphasis was placed on the strategic importance of the Black Sea, with Romania reaffirming its commitment to cooperating with Allies and international partners to ensure maritime safety and advance offshore gas exploration projects in the region.
In the energy sector, ongoing bilateral projects were highlighted, particularly the development of reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavodă and the deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology at Doicești. Through these initiatives, Romania is reinforcing its role in regional energy security and the development of transit routes.
Minister Țoiu expressed confidence that the Trump Administration’s domestic security goals would be supported by Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, reaffirming the high priority Romanian authorities place on this matter and their commitment to close cooperation with U.S. institutions. She also praised the strong interministerial collaboration and the Prime Minister’s active role in pursuing this objective.
At the invitation of the United States, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Oana Țoiu announced Romania’s intention to join the Joint Declaration on Submarine Cable Security and Resilience during the UN General Assembly in September.
Oana Țoiu welcomed the signing of the EU–U.S. Trade Agreement, emphasizing its importance for the stability of transatlantic relations and reiterating Romania’s support for reaching a balanced and constructive compromise between both sides, in the interest of producers, consumers, and investors on both sides of the Atlantic