Prague 21 November 2002

Declaration of Romanian Government in consequence of Romania's having been invited to join NATO The Romanian Government has been satisfied lo set today that the heads of state and government of the NATO member countries have made the decision to invite Romania to start negotiations for being admitted to NATO. The decision confirms the appreciation by the partners in the Alliance of the important progress Romania made in the past two years in the plane of the economic, institutional reform, of the reform in the army and the consolidation of our capacity of acting in solidarity with the North-Atlantic Alliance. The Romanian Government considers that today's decision is the result of a continuous national effort, the coronation of a large national consensus for Romania's admission to the North-Atlantic Alliance. Romanians invitation to enter the North-Atlantic Alliance also is the result of (he decisive and dynamic actions of the Romanian Government in the past two years for consolidating Romania's candidacy to admission, for a return of our country to the forefront of the process of assessing the new enlargement of the Alliance. The Government having; consistently paid attention, with maximum seriousness to the objectives in the Agenda for Reform, included in a Program of steps for accelerating Romania's preparation to enter NATO, presented as a political document by the Prime Minister in Parliament in April 2002, has contributed to this result. To which we have to add the seriousness in paying heed to fhe objectives planned by the Romanian Government through the National Admission Plan, appreciated by the partners in the Alliance, and that has proven the seriousness, the capacity to act for the Reform, the institutional coherence for accelerating the preparations for admission. The decision also is a result of the actions initiated and efficiently pursued by the Government on the basis of a National Strategy for promoting the candidacy for Romania's accession to NATO, the moves on the plane of foreign relations and die initiatives of the Romanian Government in support of the process of the Alliance's enlargement, the action carried out along with representatives of other state institutions, of Parliament, of the civil society. The dynamic activity in the relationship with the partners in the North-Atlantic Alliance and the European Union in the past two years, the projects made jointly with them and the substantial dialogue on significant issues high on the Alliance's agenda, materialized in more than 100 actions and working meetings on a bilateral and multilateral plane at the level of the Prime Minister, as well as an intense activity on a diplomatic plane and on that of foreign military contacts have consolidated the profile and credibility of Romania's candidacy to join NATO. The decision in Prague is also the result of Romania's consistent attitude in the past 10 years in supporting the NATO objectives, of the Alliance's operations for stabilizing the situation in the Balkans. Romania has also been a trustworthy ally in facing non-conventional threats, in fighting international terrorism. The decision today recognises the efforts mounted by the Romanian' army to perfect itself and modernise itself and represents Romania, in pride and with courage, in the missions carried out by the military together with the Allies. The Romanian Government expresses its decision of going on with preparation for the' proper accession of the country into the Alliance, for the consolidation of the stability of the democratic institutions, me consolidation of the law and a functional market economy, the finalising ai a sustained pace of the army's modernisation. The efforts for the full accession to the Alliance do not end once with the Prague moment. The Government is determined to act with new dynamics at a foreign level in order to secure a successful ratification of the protocol of accession by the allied states over the course of the next year. The Romanian Government will be steadfast in pursuing the implementation and monitoring of the commitments assumed, the taking over of the NATO standards at a legal and institutional level, the training of the human resources and the planning of the financial resources necessary for the exercising of die NATO member quality. The Romanian Government reaffirms its determination to consolidate the country's preparedness for the participation in solidarity with the missions of the North-Atlantic Alliance and the concrete involvement of Romania in boosting the NATO'S role as a main pivot of security in the Euro-Atlantic space. The Romanian Government also reaffirms its decision, of contributing to the consolidation of the NATO's role in tightening the security at an international level and me further promotion of the Euro-Atlantic values which Romania has joined with full conviction. The Romanian Government expresses gratitude for this historic decision to all the members of the Alliance, our strategic partner, the United States, the vision of the US President George Bush of a robust enlargement of the North Atlantic Alliance from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, our European partners, with whom we are related through a common destiny, as future members of the United Europe.