25 years of the Romania–United States Strategic Partnership

This year marks 25 years of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States. During the visit of President Bill Clinton, the partnership was signed in front of tens of thousands of people gathered in University Square in Bucharest: a partnership for the future. In the words of Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General, "I believed that our partnership with America is the most precious foreign and national security policy priority of my country." The partnership paved the way for Romania's accession to NATO in 2004, another landmark in the country's recent history.

The partnership is a pillar of our country's security and stability. In its honor, a conference was hosted by the Romanian Academy this year, and the Model NATO team had the chance to take part. We listened to the advice, memories and views of many personalities, including Emil Constantinescu, President of Romania at the time; Petre Roman, then President of the Senate; Prof. Nicolae Noica, honorary member of the Romanian Academy and director of its library; and Sandra Pralong, personal adviser to the President. We learned about the efforts Romania and the President's team made in 1997 to establish this partnership, essential to the development of Romanian democracy.

The event included a message from Mircea Geoană, who set a challenge for the next 25 years: to extend the partnership into one for prosperity and innovation. Model NATO chose to stand with the former President and the other speakers in this challenge, because young people need to know the past, take part in the present and shape the future that will belong to them, in its decisions as in its results.

Two days later, Laura Ganea launched her book "The Romania–US Strategic Partnership: A Security Guarantee for the Third Millennium" at the George Severeanu Museum, where many personalities gathered once again. President Constantinescu reminded everyone of the importance of the partnership Romania built after the revolution, which opened the door to cooperation in many fields, with participants from both business and the private sector.

The young people of Model NATO were deeply impressed by the interest Romanian politicians showed in them and by the support of President Constantinescu: proof that Model NATO is regarded with respect, appreciation and hope for a safer and better tomorrow.