On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the Romanian people as you celebrate Great Union Day, the anniversary of the unification of your country.
Romania and the United States enjoy a longstanding partnership built on shared values, common interests, and strong people-to-people connections. We are proud to stand alongside Romania as NATO Allies, working together to overcome the threats and challenges of today and tomorrow, in both the Black Sea region and beyond. We thank Romania for its steadfast commitment to defending peace and freedom around the world, including in Afghanistan.
We look forward to building on Secretary of Defense Austin's visit to Bucharest in October, Foreign Minister Aurescu's visit to Washington, D.C. in November, and our recent successful Strategic Dialogue. President Iohannis's announcement at COP26 that Romania will be one of the first to deploy a small modular reactor based on U.S. technology is a great example of the promise and potential for even greater collaboration between our two nations.
I wish the people of Romania a happy national day and peace and prosperity in the year ahead.
