Broad coalition a must to fight terrorism

An interview with the Ambassador of Romania

By Ansar Mahmood Bhatti.

Romania celebrates on December 1, 83 years of the completion of its national unitary state. The delegation to the Great Assembly at Alba Iulia decided, on December 1, 1918 to forge their destiny in freedom through unity, definitively with the motherland — Romania.

Romania is one of the key Eastern European countries. After the revolutionary steps of the incumbent government, Romania is gradually emerging as the economic tiger in the region. The country has also started accession negotiations with the European Union. It is expected that Romania can be admitted to the European Union in the second phase of EU enlargement.

This scribe interviewed Mr. Emil Ghitulescu, the Ambassador of Romania. Mr. Ghitulescu is a renowned scholar, journalist and writer. His recent book on Allama Iqbal has widely been praised both in Romania and Pakistan. Ambassador Ghitulescu, among other things, also talked about the emerging world scenario and issues relating to Pak-Romanian bilateral relations.

Here are excerpts from his interview.

On terrorists attacks against US

The horrendous terrorist attacks against US have affected not just USA but the entire world. Romania favours most effective response and a broad coalition for a long-term global process to fight against these threats. The black holes of corruption, organized crime and lawlessness are diseases, which threaten traffic of drugs, money laundering, extremist movements and terrorism. If we want to cure these ills, we should examine the common threats and fight them collectively. There is no reason why we should tolerate those who want to resort to violence, imposing their will by using force, terror and extremism. Terrorism is crime against humanity and must be recognized as such and dealt with accordingly.

The EU border control initiative for western Balkans is a valuable contribution. We have argued that this should be extended beyond the Western Balkans, making use of the South Eastern European Centre for combating trans-border crime.

On accession to the European Union

Besides being a member of the Council of Europe, Romania is also a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace, associate member of European Union (EU) and a strategic partner of the United States. During the EU summit in Helsinki in December 1999, Romania was accepted for consideration as candidate for European Union’s membership. Following that event, the December 2000 EU Summit in Nice outlined the details for granting Romania accession to the EU.

The aspiring states, including Romania, are somewhat faced with a difficult target of reforming their economic and social structures, but the industrious Romanians are resolute to meet these challenges and proudly enter the EU.

Joining the European Union is the top priority of the government’s foreign policy. This is quite evident from the words of the Romanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mircea Dan Geoana, who recently declared that “the integration of the country into political, economic and strategic Euro-Atlantic structures is the pivotal foreign policy objective of Romania, which will hopefully be obtained in 2004, the timeframe for becoming full EU member”.

What is more important for us is to reaffirm our place and stature in the comity of the democratic nations. The Romanian diplomacy will strive to secure NATO’s consent on Romania’s nomination for integration into its military and political wing, during the NATO summit in 2002 in Prague.

Our strategic partnership with US is an essential component of our foreign policy. The promotion of regional cooperation and strengthening of relationship with neighbours and countries with good ties is also the focus of our foreign policy. Handed over this year by Austria, the presidency of the 55-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is a matter of real pride for the government and people of Romania. The President of OSCE in 2001 is the Romanian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

On Romanian contribution to European construction

European integration is probably the most important challenge for us in the foreseeable future, as well as the most effective instrument in responding to these challenges: bridging the economic gap and rebuilding social solidarity. A real contribution of our intellectual, cultural and human potential to the European construction will be possible only when our citizens will have unhindered access to the geographical, cultural, educational and professional space of all Europe. Romania shares the same fundamental concerns of Western Europe and is prepared to translate what could be considered a mere map location as the so-called Eastern border of the United Europe into an unstinted process for implementing the European values in the adjacent geographical areas.

Romania can play an essential role in reconnecting the Western Balkans to the European spirit, in spreading the European values towards the Caucasus, to strengthen the European vocation of the Republic of Moldova etc. EU will be able to extend its role as a driving force of the global economy beyond the Black Sea. Romania will thus have the chance to associate its potential with that of the new European democracies. Romania is today a pillar of regional stability and inter-ethnic respect, radiating security outwards to our Eastern and Southern neighbours.

On relations with partners from Asia, other countries

Romania wants to reinvigorate useful political and economic ties with countries from Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa. Romania quits being the prisoner of the immobile idea, to renounce its traditional economic partners, building series of fruitful connections all over the world, around its main target, the integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.

The strategic location of Romania as a bridge between Western European and the Asian economic space is a strong incentive to further developing and deepening its close relationship with all the countries of this region, particularly with South Asia and East Asia.

On relations with Pakistan

Romania and Pakistan have traditionally good relations. The two countries established diplomatic relations 37 years ago, but it is worth to say that the commercial ties between the two countries dated back to the ancient time. The Pakistani business community, which is established in the Romanian market, as well as the Honorary Consulate in Karachi and the future Honorary Consulate of Romania in Lahore, have to play an important role in further strengthening the ties between the two countries. In 1999, a five-member delegation of Pakistan-Romania Friendship Forum visited Romania to further improve understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

A Romanian economic mission comprising 11 prominent Romanian businessmen visited Pakistan this year. On this occasion a Forum ‘Business opportunities between Romania and Pakistan’ was organised in Karachi. The President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Mircea Dan Geoana, and the Pakistani Minister of Finance Mr Shaukat Aziz sent special messages to this Forum.

As a consquence of the joint efforts to develop and diversify our bilateral economic relations, including the active and imaginative participation of the Embassy of Romania in Pakistan, the volume of the commercial exchanges increased by 100 per cent in the first 8 months of 2001, comparative with the same period of the last year.

I am highly convinced that there is tremendous trade potential between Romania and Pakistan and there is much room for strengthening vital economic cooperation. Pakistan can surely benefit from Romania’s expertise in refineries, petrochemical plants, metallurgical industry, hydro and thermal power stations, machine building industry, cement plants, machine tools, agriculture, glass factory, development of coal mines for power generation, wood and furniture industry.

I am confident that an active interaction of private business communities in both the countries would take place through frequent exchange of economic missions via government efforts. This interaction would also lead the two sides to participate in international trade fairs held in both the countries. An evidence of this coordination and friendship is that Romania had a big national pavilion in the Ideas 2000 Exhibition in Karachi and Pakistan will attend the Romanian international exhibition “Expomil” being held in November 2001.

On cultural cooperation with Pakistan

 I remember that a considerable number of young Pakistanis continue going to Romania for completing their studies. Romania expresses its interest to boost the relations with Pakistan in education and cultural fields, by a regular exchange of information, material and students on the basis of understandings which may be concluded directly between universities of the two countries, as well as by organizing the art exhibitions in the two countries. On November 22, 2001 an outstanding Romanian designer’s stained glass exhibition will be opened and the same will be inaugurated in Karachi on December 8.

Romania and Pakistan are blessed with a very rich culture moulded through their colourful history by the contribution of various influences. I visited the museums of Lahore and I was deeply impressed by Pakistani art works. I remember now only the great painters M.A. Kahmar Chaughtai, national artist of Pakistan and Ustad Allah Bux.

Some months ago, I launched my book “Dialogue between civilizations: Mihai Eminescu and Allama Iqbal”. It is a comparative study between these two great poets — Eminescu and Iqbal. They never met each other but they have surprising similarities. They studied in Gemany and have shown appreciation for several renowned Western thinkers and writers, such as Immanuel Kant, Johann Wofgang, Goethe, Hegel, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and have admitted being influenced by some of them.

I do intend to bring out the second edition of the book into a new and larger form, highlighting the ideas of liberty, justice and progress, which were forcefully presented by Allama Iqbal and Mihai Emenescu. The second edition will be in English, Urdu and French. I have also the project to name after Allama Iqbal and Mihai Emenescu two important streets from Bucharest and respectively Islamabad. Pakistani authorities have agreed in principle with this proposal and an affirmative answer in this regard is expected from the Mayor General of Bucharest, Traian Basescu.