Ambassador Kavalec: US has the highest respect for president Iohannis

The ambassador of the United States of America to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, stated on Wednesday, in northeastern Suceava, that the US has a special respect for the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, thus answering a question regarding the announcement of the head of state regarding his intention to run for the position of secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)."Romania is a key partner for the US within NATO, contributing 2.5 percent of GDP to its defence. Romania is a key ally and partner during this terrible border war and we have the highest respect for president Iohannis," Kathleen Kavalec said.   President Klaus Iohannis announced on Tuesday that he has decided to compete for the position of NATO secretary general."I assume this candidacy on behalf of Romania," Klaus Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Palace.The US ambassador attended the opening of the traveling photographic exhibition "We the People" in Suceava on Wednesday.   The Embassy of the United States of America in Bucharest, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, with the AGERPRES National News Agency, and in collaboration with the University of Craiova, opened, on Wednesday, in northeastern Suceava, the traveling photographic exhibition We the People, which celebrates the anniversary of 25 years of Strategic Partnership between the United States of America and Romania. The exhibition can be viewed both on the esplanade of the House of Culture in Suceava municipality and at the Suceava History Museum until April 10, 2024."We the People: 25 years of Strategic Partnership" is a thematic photographic essay that explores the diplomatic, security, economic, cultural relations between the Romanian and the American people, since the beginning of the Strategic Partnership in 1997. This collection of interactions between the two nations illustrate the fact that the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Romania is accessible to everyone, according to a press release from the US Embassy.The 150 photos included in this exhibition create a personal framework for the Strategic Partnership, past and present, and offer the opportunity to experience the friendship and collaboration between the two peoples in a new way. The exhibition focuses on the theme Noi, Poporul/ We the People which is the famous preamble of the Constitution of the United States and the embodiment of human ties that form bridges of understanding and cooperation between peoples. Diplomacy and successful bilateral friendship are based on these ties and the common values they encompass, the source mentions.The photographic exhibition has reached several cities during the last two years, such as: Craiova, Timisoara, Bucharest, Sibiu, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta and Oradea.     U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec Remarks   We the People Exhibit Opening in Suceava National Museum of Bucovina     March 13, 2024   Good afternoon. Mayor Ion Lungu, County Council President Gheorghe Flutur, Agerpres Director Claudia Nicolae, Ladies and Gentlemen,  Friends,    It is an honor and a pleasure to be in Suceava.  Thank you for joining us. I want to say a special thank you to County Council President Gheorghe Flutur for hosting our reception in this impressive building, and to Mayor Ion Lungu for providing the outdoor venue for our display.   We’re here today for the opening of our exhibition, We the People, which honors over a quarter of a century of the U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership.    To say that we in Embassy Bucharest are proud of this exhibit would be an understatement.  The exhibit has toured throughout Romania, and I’m thrilled to bring it to Suceava. Simply stated, this display is a celebration of the good things and the great accomplishments that our bilateral partnership brings our people, this region, our allies, and the world. This exhibit is structured on the pillars of the Strategic Partnership itself and the diplomatic, shared security, economic, and cultural relationships it fosters. The title and the panels celebrate the human element, the people-to-people bridges that link us all.  When we chose this title, we did not do so lightly.    We the People – the venerated first words of the preamble to our Constitution – sets the tone for our most cherished document.  We felt this title captures the sentiment of the foundation upon which all of our collaboration is based – the people of Romania and the United States working together to further our shared interests and values.     The reference to the Constitution also reminds us of liberty, democracy, and other values that Romanians and Americans hold dear – values that our partnership and our Alliance seek to preserve and expand.  This is especially relevant in these times when, just over the nearby border, the world faces the gravest threat to these values since World War II.    In turbulent times people tend to most appreciate the blessings of freedom and democracy.    I am saddened when I think about the atrocities committed against Ukrainians through Russia’s violent aggression –people forced from their homes, children separated from their families, houses, villages, and cities destroyed.  Russia’s war against Ukraine is a violent manifestation of Putin’s disregard for the international order based on rule of law premised on international cooperation, not violent coercion.    It is all the more important now to highlight and celebrate what we can achieve working together to build a safer, more prosperous world for all.  We do that by supporting essential principles: protecting and honoring human rights, celebrating individual diversity while ensuring collective liberty, enforcing the rule of law and caring for those most vulnerable.  And so I am moved and inspired by the example Romanians, especially here in Suceava, set for us all by generously supporting their neighbors, helping them with critical assistance, protection, and essential services.   I would like to take this opportunity to thank all in this community who helped others in need and commend the local leaders here for the extraordinary outpouring of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians.   I also commend the work of the Romanian government and the people of Romania in responding to this refugee crisis.   We are excited about the Sister Cities program with Lansing, MI, which speaks volumes about Suceava’s commitment to promoting peace and supporting community development.  Bucovina is a land of cultural treasures and long kept traditions and has so many values all of us can learn from.    This agreement bears mute testimony to the pledges of our Strategic Partnership: mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation through business and trade, as well as people-to-people exchanges in arts and culture.  I look forward to seeing how this initiative contributes to further strengthening our bilateral relations.   Please be assured you will always have a partner in the United States.   Your presence here today is evidence of the continued partnership between our nations and peoples.    Thank you all and each of you for over 25 years of friendship and partnership. I look forward to the next 25 years and hope you enjoy the exhibit.