Distinguished members of Government and Parliament

Distinguished members of Government and Parliament,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a distinct pleasure and honour for me to welcome you all at Romania’s National Day Reception. Thank you for
joining us in celebrating this special moment for my country.
The National Day of Romania celebrates the unification of all Romanian provinces on December 1 st, 1918, one of our
nation’s finest moments in recent history. It was a moment of solidarity and national unity, as much as a moment of
hope and great expectations.
Today, as we get closer to the end of a troubled year, marked by so many moments of grief and sorrow, speaking about
unity and solidarity bears a special significance.
The shocking fire that killed 60 persons in a nightclub in Bucharest at the end of October has shown how important
meaningful and actionable solidarity could be. The offer of medical assistance was moving and we are grateful for it. I
would like to express my great appreciation for the offer made by President Duda in this regard, on behalf of Poland,
and for his presence, during the official visit to Bucharest, to the place where the tragedy occurred. I would like to take
the opportunity to also thank all who signed in the Embassy’s book of condolences.
Dear friends,
This year, the Romanian-Polish cooperation has been defined by unprecedented dynamics. Ministerial visits and
contacts have been intense and included the head of Polish diplomacy’s presence at the annual meeting of Romanian
ambassadors. But really significant were the two official visits at the head of state level that took place in 2015: President
Iohannis visited Warsaw in March, when a joint declaration was adopted, and President Duda visited Bucharest in
November. Those visits marked the entry of the bilateral relationship into a new phase, that of joint strategic diplomatic
action, in line with both countries’ vocation of responsible and capable members of the EU and NATO.
It is precisely this understanding that has enabled presidents of Poland and Romania to co-organize in Bucharest, on
November 4th, a high-level meeting of nine NATO and EU Member States from the Eastern border or the Eastern flank,
the so-called “Bucharest Format”, which produced a Joint Declaration, entitled "Allied Solidarity and Shared
Responsibility". As suggested by the title itself, this statement, which represents a contribution of nine Allies to the 2016
NATO Summit in Warsaw, is an invitation to unity and solidarity of all members of the Euro-Atlantic community, in its
response to major security risks, wherever they might be coming from.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The international community reaction to the 2015 tragic events proved that compassion, empathy, unity and solidarity
are the first lines of defense when confronted with challenges to our day-to-day life, or our fundamental beliefs. It also
proved that moral or political resilience is not and will not be the only response to appalling violence against innocent
civilians or purposeful military aggression. Above all, it proved that security should never be taken for granted.
Des Etats comme la France, la Turquie, l’Egypte, la Tunisie, le Liban, le Nigeria, le Mali et la liste pourrait continuer,
ont été récemment frappés par des attaques terroristes odieux. La solidarité que la communauté internationale a
montrée envers ses pays prouve qu’il y a des raisons profondes d’optimisme à l’égard de l’avenir et que la raison et le
bien vont prévaloir dans la confrontation avec les forces radicales, irresponsables et, finalement, inhumaines.
Ainsi, chaque fois que nos principes et nos valeurs essentielles sont menacées – en référence à la liberté, à la
démocratie, aux droits de l’homme, à la compassion face aux catastrophes, au respect du droit international, au rejet
de l’extrémisme, au combat du terrorisme - l’unité et la solidarité devraient agir obligatoirement, sans hésitations et
sans équivoque. Et je ne vous cache pas que je ressens une pleine satisfaction en constatant que cette règle fonctionne
réellement à l’intérieur de la communauté euro-atlantique et que le lien transatlantique s’avère extrêmement solide a
cet égard.
Let me join others who expressed the belief that unity and solidarity will be indeed the guiding principles of our future
endeavours towards safeguarding tolerance, defending security and preserving stability in Europe and beyond.
Against this backdrop, there was nothing more reassuring than to hear the US president saying "Nous sommes tous
Français" on the occasion of his recent talks with the French President, focused on combating terrorism.
Dear guests,
Before concluding, let me stress that we understand unity and solidarity as a state of mind and an attitude for something
or someone, not against something or someone.
We have expressed our preference for a model of society based on universally validated values, for preserving a stable
and secure global system governed by enforceable principles and moral standards. We are ready to support partners
who want to integrate within our community of values, and their right to choose their own destiny. Today, Montenegro
was invited to join in NATO. Congratulations and welcome to the euroatlantic community. We are open to cooperate
with all other international players in good faith, as long as they comply with international rules as well as with the
commitments and responsibilities they have agreed to undertake.
Allow me to raise a glass for Romanian – Polish friendship and solidarity, for European and Transatlantic unity and as
well for peace, good understanding and international cooperation.
La multi ani Romania! La multi ani Polonia!
Thank you very much!