Video interview

with the NATO Permanent Representative for Romania, Sorin Ducaru on the upcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania

Q: We are here today with the Romanian Ambassador to NATO, Mr. Sorin Ducaru. Welcome.

SORIN DUCARU (NATO Permanent Representative, Romania): Thank you.

Q: Thank you very much for taking the time to come and see us, because I know you are on a very hectic schedule these days.

DUCARU: Well, it is a pleasure, and of course, there is a lot of work around summit preparation, but it is always a good opportunity to be able to convey the kind of work and the kind of energy that is put into such an event.

Q: Ambassador, the Bucharest Summit is only nine weeks way. What would you say are some of the main Public Diplomacy activities which the Romanian government is planning in coordination with NATO?

DUCARU: Well, we started this planning and preparation already a month ago, and let me just tell you a couple of words about the people behind this work. I would like to warmly praise the Romanian task force team, headed by good friend and colleague State Secretary Victor Micula who works jointly with the NATO task force, generally on the NATO Summit preparations, but with a special focus on public diplomacy.

As you know, the public outreach is a key growing, I would say, dimension in the effort of NATO. It is one of the subjects that we NATO ambassador discuss on a weekly basis. Also because there is so much that NATO is frankly doing in such a diverse area. And not just the obvious, you know, security work in Afghanistan, in Kosovo and frankly the operations, which are hard operations, but also the many other dimensions, the partnerships, the outreach to the people, the agenda for peace, I would say.

So coming to the essence of your question, I would say there are a number of things that we have in mind in preparation of the Summit and then a number of events at the Summit per say, within the margins of the Summit in early April.

Number one,  all the interaction that we had between NATO Headquarters and Bucharest to the Summit, we had already two visits of the Secretary General, and the last visit only a week and a half ago. I think the Secretary General had his, I would say, his first political speech in preparation of the Summit agenda at the University Library in Bucharest and also with video links with two other universities in my country. I would say a huge success, and also from the kind of reception and the interesting questions that were put by students. 

Just to give you one example, we have three other events in Romania focused on three key themes of the Alliance - Energy, Security, Afghanistan operations in the Balkans. We are preparing a ship visit to the port of Constanta. One of the ships in Operation Active Endeavour, one of the operations under Article 5, will be visiting in early March and staying through the Summit events.

Also I would say we are keeping contact with all the events that are scheduled in Brussels or in other NATO countries, so that Romanian presence is there to be able to answer to questions, to be able to contribute to debates.

Last, but not least, let me also mention the fact that during the Summit we have in mind a standing exhibition of what NATO is doing in terms of security, anti-terrorism, but also two key events, a transatlantic forum and also a youth event. They will be running simultaneously. There will be open stages for leaders, political leaders, also leaders from international non-governmental organizations, to be able to participate in this debate, which is actually the debate of the future of NATO, the debate of what is at stake nowadays in international security.

So I would say we are preparing a solid ground for open debate for public outreach, while our leaders will have those two days of intense indoors debate on the exact decisions that will be taken at the Summit.

Q: That sounds very interesting. What would you say is the significance of the NATO Summit for Romania and what do you hope to achieve as host?

DUCARU: I think with every summit there is a bit of a resonance between  the location of the Summit, where it takes place, the storyline of the place, and the resonance with the themes, with the agenda of the Summit. And I think it is hugely symbolic that this Summit takes place in a new member of the Alliance. Frankly, a country that joined NATO was invited at the Prague Summit and then joined NATO after ratification in 2004. A country that has shown that it can be security provider and actually completely contribute in operations, in the debates on the future of the Alliance.

But also a country that is situated in a very interesting region, strategic region for the Alliance. It is at the eastern border of the Alliance. It is neighbouring the Balkan region where we have, I would say, where there is still so many problematic issues, but there is so much hope unfolding for the future.

Also neighbouring the broader Black Sea, Caspian, Caucasus area, so in a way a country that is present in Afghanistan, for example, since 2002. So every major theme of the agenda of the Summit resonates with, I think, the storyline of the location and this is at stake. It is not just highlighting just one country. And of course, it is an opportunity for my country to show who we are, where we come from and what our ambitions are, the objectives for the future, but it actually highlights the whole region and the interest that the Summit invests in this region and in the also neighbourhood of the Alliance.

Q: I think you almost mentioned this, but maybe you could tell us, how does the Romanian population feel about hosting the NATO Summit?

DUCARU: Yes, I will say that for a country that has been half a century behind the Iron Curtain, but who strongly supported this membership and the Alliance, also as an element, if you want, validation of coming back to the family of transatlantic democracies, to which we, let us say, historically belong, you can understand it is an element of strong pride and also an element of strong interest because of the interest in the substance and the role of the Alliance.

You will see that there is a freshness in my country, and as in many others, at the level of the generation that actually lived the years behind the Iron Curtain, but also at the level of the generation of those who were born in the last 18 years, since the fall of Communism, in what the Alliance is all about, what its role is and what it can contribute.

And last, but not least, there is also a sentiment beyond pride and interest. Also a sense of responsibility because this is a huge endeavour. I think due to the fact that number one, the Alliance is larger compared to the previous Summit; number two, this is a Summit that includes also the partners within the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, and yes, we have also more partners since our last Summit.

And number three, since we are putting emphasis on all the contributors in our operations, like Afghanistan, who we want to have with us in the discussions, at least a number of discussions, you can imagine the dimensions of the organization and from this point of view there is also a huge sense of responsibility and I could witness it first hand also during the last visit just a couple of days with the Secretary General, to Bucharest.

Q: Excellent. And finally, Romania is a troop contributor to the ISAF mission. What would you say have been the main challenges so far?

DUCARU: Yes, as I said, we have been steady contributing since our first deployment in the spring of 2002 in the southern part of Afghanistan, in Kandahar and also region of Qalat and after many consecutive rotation I think there is also an experience, an expertise that has developed.

I think number one challenge is to really understand that Afghanistan is not solely military operation, and I think it was emphasized many times just recently by Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO has its military responsibility, and we are focusing on it and we are delivering on it, but we have to put more emphasis on interaction with other organizations so that we go with the same pace also on the direction of the strengthening of institution, developing that country, because at the end of the day this is the long-term objective, to have a stable, self-sustained country.

So number one is a number of challenges to get more interaction with other actors that can play a huge role. And number two, I would say, we have to do more for more Afghan ownership and this is why we put extra emphasis on the training of the Afghan National Army and the direction is good, the evolutions are in the right direction. We have to do more of this.

And last, but not least, I think we have to be able to send a message, also at the Bucharest Summit, that we are really committed to that country and to that place.

Of course, as I said, with doing more, also on the dimension of the non-military effort, institution-building, having more Afghan involvement, but actually we should give a sign that we are committed so that the whole result of the process and the involvement of the international community in Afghanistan is a success.

Q: Excellent. Well thank you very much for coming, Ambassador. I wish you a very successful Summit.

DUCARU: Thank you very much, and I am also looking forward to having all the NATO allies and partners gathered.