Today we celebrate the signing of the Treaty on Friendly Cooperation and Partnership in Europe between the Federal Republic of Germany and Romania on 21 April 1992, exactly thirty years ago. Within a united Europe, the Treaty represents the foundation of our close political, economic and cultural cooperation marked by mutual trust, respect and adherence to our common values.

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and of Romania, express our satisfaction for the high level of the bilateral political dialogue and cooperation in various fields. We reiterate the commitment of both our countries to further deepen our bilateral relations, as well as to intensify our privileged partnership of strategic nature in fostering a strong and cohesive Europe united by the values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, as envisioned by our bilateral Treaty.

We jointly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms and express our solidarity with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people. As EU Member States and Allies in NATO, we reaffirm our commitment to European unity and stress our commitment for an even stronger transatlantic unity and its essential contribution to peace and stability in Europe. We wish to enhance our bilateral exchange on security and defense, as well as on Eastern Neighborhood, in support for the countries in this area, Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, and the Black Sea region. We are also determined to strengthen our cooperation in the field of energy security and in the areas of research, scientific cooperation and innovation.

Over the last thirty years, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the German-Romanian friendship has grown and much has been achieved. Our economic ties are stronger than ever, underscored by solid investments generating jobs and innovation. Our institutional and diplomatic exchanges have deepened and multiplied, contributing to the growing mutual trust and to the development of numerous concrete projects to the benefit of our countries and to Europe as a whole. Situations of unprecedented complexity, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, were surpassed based on the values that have built Europe: solidarity and unity. Our cooperation during Romania`s first mandate at the helm of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, as well as during the German Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2020, when we promoted together important subjects such as the protection of seasonal workers, represent significant examples of successful common work at European level.

At the same time, our bilateral relationship goes back much longer and the centuries old Romanian-German interactions provide a fertile basis, upon which we are building on continuously. Our close social and cultural relations are strengthened by our common cultural heritage as well as manifold civil society contacts, enhanced by the freedom of movement of persons and workers within the EU. Both the German minority in Romania and the growing number of Romanian citizens living in Germany are an outstanding cultural, linguistic, economic and human bridge between our societies. We acknowledge the exemplary preservation of the rights of persons belonging to the German minority in Romania, which can serve as a model for the respect of minority rights. We also commit to further strengthening our social ties, especially among the younger generation, and, in doing so, expanding our cultural exchange.

Together, we want to take up new opportunities resulting from the topical transformation of our economies and societies and to adapt to challenges. Fighting climate change, overcoming the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and safeguarding peace, democracy, rules based international order, stability and prosperity require joint efforts and urgent actions. To this end, we want to strengthen European resilience and contribute to a successful economic and ecological transformation aiming at a sustainable, climate neutral and environmentally friendly future. Building on the successful partnership between our countries and based on our shared vision and interests, we want to cooperate even closer in ensuring the green transition and resetting our economies towards a more sustainable approach, in energy as well as in fully exploiting the potential of digital transformation. We are committed to further developing the potential for sustainable growth and innovation of our economies.

Thirty years of German-Romanian friendship are both an achievement and an incentive: together we want to further develop our bilateral partnership and work for a united, resilient, secure and future-oriented European Union. Together we will continue to stand up for Europe, for our European partners, for our friendship, and for increasingly stronger ties between our citizens.