Posted on 12/27/2003 8:40:53 AM PST by knighthawk
This time next year, a memorial to the world's 100 million victims of communism will be unveiled in Washington, D.C. More than just a tribute to the martyred, the proposed monument near the Capitol will symbolize the ties between the world's greatest democracy and its friends like Romania, which is celebrating 14 years of freedom from communist tyranny.
As we ring in the new year, Romanians will raise our glasses to toast our renewed friendship. Our two nations are fighting proudly for freedom and democracy in Iraq and speaking as one voice against global terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons.
The new year also brings for Romania a new role in the world. We are on the verge of joining NATO, ready and willing to become a ''frontline'' country with the United States and other European allies, who, like us, have tossed off the communist shackles. Romania, along with other new Eastern European members, will boost NATO troops by 200,000 and create a crucial pro-U.S. force in a new Europe.
We know firsthand that in order to be safe at home one must look beyond one's own borders. Bush administration officials briefed our government last month on its search for new military bases in Europe and the possibility of relocating tens of thousands of troops stationed in Germany. Romania's Black Sea region would be an ideal location for a U.S. base. Our port is the largest in the region and strategically straddles the Balkans, Central Asia and the Middle East. We are one of three countries most frequently mentioned as hosts for the troops along with Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, and Bulgaria, which joins NATO early next year.
We fledgling democracies are eager to form a united front to confront the challenges ahead. Romania's potential as a regional power is of vital importance to the United States. We can become a policymaker in Central and Eastern Europe and act as a bridge to the Balkans. Our inclusion in the European Union, which we hope will happen by early 2007, will further ensure our position in world affairs.
The new year also brings us a seat on the powerful United Nations Security Council. In the coming months, the 15-member body will make key decisions on Iraq. We and the other nine nonpermanent council members can help build a bridge in disagreements between countries such as the United States and France. We are ready to make tough choices, just as we did in 1991 when we cast our vote to get Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.
As the year draws to a close, Romania has shown maturity and responsibility, sending troops to Afghanistan, where two of our brave soldiers have died, and to Iraq. We celebrate the capture of Saddam. This is not simply the demise of one tyrant. This is not merely a great victory for our coalition forces. It is a clear sign to the Iraqi people that they are on the path to freedom, democracy and independence, to a future built by their own hands.
With encouragement and support from Romanian Americans, our country is forging ahead with democracy, turning around our economy and improving our people's daily lives. Romanian national elections next year will be critical in showing the rest of the world there is no turning back for us. We understand international concerns over corruption in post-dictatorship countries. We are tackling these problems head on, passing strict laws and tough penalties, building a framework to root out corruption, and we welcome scrutiny.
We want to thank the United States for its role in rebuilding our economy. Our efforts are boosted by organizations such as the Romanian-American Enterprise Fund. Established by Congress in 1995, it has helped generate $200 million in trade and is advising our government on privatizing the energy sector. In October, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency named Romania the 2003 Country of the Year, and for the second consecutive year, we were the leading European recipients of USTDA economic development grants. Romanian Americans, through groups like the Congress of Romanian Americans, have given millions of dollars to help their ancestral home. Romanian Americans are also helping fund the Washington memorial, which will commemorate our fallen loved ones. Fourteen years after the ouster of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, we are at last fulfilling the pledge of our national anthem:
Awaken thee, Romanian, shake off the deadly slumber
The scourge of inauspicious barbarian tyrannies
And now or never to a bright horizon clamber
That shall to shame put all your nocuous enemies
Adrien Nastase, an international lawyer, is the prime minister of Romania.
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Love what you did with Nicolae Ceausescu and the lovely Elena!
I have to admit, though, that my head is spinning. If anyone had told me 15 years ago that we would one day move our troops out of Germany and into places like Poland and Romania .....
Yeah, it would be, I wish we had one.
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