Ministrul afacerilor externe Bogdan Aurescu a adresat un mesaj cu prilejul marcării aniversării a 140 de ani de relaţii diplomatice româno-britanice.
Mesajul a fost transmis astăzi, 25 noiembrie a.c., în cadrul unui eveniment virtual organizat de către Ambasada României la Londra, în colaborare cu Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office şi Ambasada Regatului Unit al Marii Britanii şi Irlandei de Nord la Bucureşti.
Evenimentul a inclus o succesiune de momente care au reflectat istoricul relaţiilor bilaterale şi palierele principale ale cooperării româno-britanice, cu accent pe contribuţia pe care românii din Marea Britanie şi britanicii care locuiesc în România o aduc la întărirea parteneriatului bilateral.
Regăsiţi mai jos transcrierea mesajului ministrului afacerilor externe Bogdan Aurescu.
Anniversary of 140 years of Romanian-UK diplomatic relations
On the 20th of February 1880, the United Kingdom, along with France and Germany, formally recognized our country’s independence and sovereignty.
But this anniversary of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and the United Kingdom represents more than a landmark moment for Romania’s history. It is a key moment that opened significant perspectives for our current bilateral Strategic Partnership.
Generations of Romanian and British famous diplomats, members of royal families, outstanding political, cultural and academic personalities have constantly boosted our bilateral relationship.
Starting with 1989, our countries have channeled their efforts and energies into promoting like-minded visions, based on shared values and principles, and supported various projects of common interest. This privileged cooperation resulted in a strong and dynamic Strategic Partnership that enhanced our joint work in an important number of bilateral, regional, European and multilateral fields.
Our cooperation on security and defense, as well as our common foreign policy interests at Europe’s borders and our support for a strong transatlantic link, have brought us closer together.
We highly value the British contribution to the security in the Black Sea region. At the same time, we welcome the fact that the United Kingdom remains one of Romania’s most important economic and commercial partners. I am glad to see that the bilateral trade has been on a positive track in the past years. Romania has the second largest community in the United Kingdom that contributes to the British economy and society in many positive ways.
I welcome the fact that many Romanian workers, especially in the field of the British National Health System, have played a crucial role in the current fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. I am confident that the Romanians in the UK will continue to be a catalyst for our partnership, even after the 1st of January 2021. I also count on the fact that the British authorities will grant them full access and secure their rights, even after the Brexit completion.
The beginning of the next year will lead us to a new logic of bilateral cooperation, one in which we hope, as an EU Member State, that Global Britain will keep much of the essence and historical virtues of the European Britain that we want as close as possible after Brexit.
I am confident that we share the same view on the need to reach a higher level of ambition in our bilateral cooperation through an „updated and consolidated” Strategic Partnership – much more connected to the new realities on the European and global scene. Deepening cooperation in a wide range of areas, from foreign affairs and security to economy, science, research, innovation and technology could only enrich our relations.
It will pave the way for achieving goals of major importance for both our countries, reflecting the interests of Romanian and British citizens alike.Looking forward to further enhancing our cooperation, I extend my wishes for a happy anniversary and every success in the years to come!