Policy paper

Joint statement on the Romanian-British Strategic Partnership, March 2023

Published 23 March 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

1. Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as the ‘United Kingdom’ or the ‘UK’), as Strategic Partners, hereby note and record the following understanding:

Introduction

2. Romania and the UK enjoy deep historical connections, and share European values, close economic links and strong people-to-people ties. We have strengthened this through a Strategic Partnership since 2003, which we now renew and expand in the context of growing challenges and threats to the European and global order. This builds on the intensified bilateral and multilateral dialogue between the UK and Romanian authorities – across government, armed forces, law enforcement and other agencies – in response to the full range of transnational challenges.

3. We are committed to working together as part of a wider global network of liberty and to strengthening our Strategic Partnership, which is rooted in our shared values and our promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These values are reinforced by our common membership of many international organisations, and by our mutual commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to the promotion of a rules-based international order.

4. We are committed to collective defence through NATO. We will work together to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, coordinating on policies and initiatives that promote strategic resilience. The UK and Romania will strengthen NATO’s long-term defence posture, ensuring it has a wide network of partnerships ready to tackle all threats to Euro-Atlantic security. Russia’s aggressive actions in the Black Sea, especially in Ukraine, since 2014 highlight the importance of cooperating on our mutual security and collective defence. We will deepen our diplomatic, security and defence cooperation, strengthening our capacity to overcome current and future security threats.

5. We will work together to strengthen our energy security and tackle climate change, harnessing science and innovation to accelerate emissions reductions and the transition to sustainable and affordable energy supplies. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to strengthening the implementation of the Paris Agreement and commit to urgent, ambitious and inclusive action to reduce emissions leading to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, while halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, and protecting forests and oceans. We will explore opportunities for research collaboration, and cooperation in sectors including education, science and health.

6. We recognise the value of collaborating to address these and other urgent global challenges, such as the need for freer and fairer trade; increased resilience of global supply chains; the pursuit of equality; and the promotion of inclusive growth, following the pandemic, both in our own countries and around the world.

7. We also highlight the strong and expanding connections between the people and businesses of our 2 countries, including the over 1 million Romanians in the UK contributing to the UK’s economy and society. The exchange of people, ideas, trade and investment sits at the core of our partnership and is to be celebrated and fostered.

8. In light of our historic ties of friendship and cooperation, we look ahead to a close, shared future relationship supported by this renewed Strategic Partnership. This Partnership will guide and enhance our bilateral ties and strengthen our international cooperation. It includes consolidating bilateral cooperation on foreign affairs; defence and security; law enforcement and home affairs; cybersecurity, technology, and hybrid threats; trade and investment; and people-to-people links. Furthermore, our cooperation is consistent with, and benefits from, the EU-UK framework. This cooperation is without prejudice to Romania’s obligations stemming from its EU membership and to the EU-UK agreements and legal framework, and will respect the delimitation of competences between the EU and its member states. Both Strategic Partners see the positive development of that relationship as supportive of our bilateral efforts.

9. In addition to the regular exchanges between our officials that are consistent with the quality of our relationship, this Strategic Partnership will be taken forward by 6 dialogues which consolidate and expand bilateral cooperation across our shared priorities. Their remit will be determined and includes, but is not limited to:

1. Foreign affairs

i. Promoting the rules-based international order able to safeguard peace and stability and to foster resilience

ii. Supporting and strengthening the transatlantic partnership

iii. Consolidating our cooperation in the Black Sea region, Eastern neighbourhood and the Western Balkans

iv. Exchanging analysis and approaches on sanctions policy, consular cooperation, strategic communications, Russia, China, Central Asia, Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East and North Africa

v. Strengthening joint initiatives at bilateral and regional levels, as well as in multilateral fora, to uphold democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and shared values

vi. Coordinating on global issues such as climate change, energy security, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, and achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on women and girls

vii. Supporting Romania’s efforts to become a member of the OECD

viii. Exploring cooperation opportunities related to the Three Seas Initiative

2. Defence and security

i. Enhancing NATO’s longer term deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern Flank as a whole and in the Black Sea

ii. Consolidating cooperation with NATO’s partners in the Eastern Neighbourhood and in the Western Balkans

iii. Working together on the implementation of NATO’s Strategic Concept

iv. Maintaining a regular bilateral political and military dialogue, through regular consultations including annual defence talks, as well as through expert level meetings, to discuss the status and priorities of the bilateral defence cooperation, including by capitalizing the potential of the Joint Action Plan

v. Exploring co-operation on defence research, capability development, interoperability of armed forces, and outer space matters

vi. Enhancing our defence, cyber and security procurement relationship, including greater cooperation between our respective industries

vii. Strengthening cooperation in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation bilaterally and in international fora

3. Law enforcement, home affairs and justice cooperation

i. Working together to tackle human trafficking and all forms of human exploitation, including child sexual exploitation and abuse

ii. Jointly tackling serious and organised crime, including drug trafficking, financial crime, cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, organized property crime, organised immigration crime, smuggling of goods, counterfeits and money laundering

iii. Exploring opportunities to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and criminal justice, to build on ongoing cooperation via the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This includes strengthening law enforcement information exchange via existing mechanisms such as INTERPOL and exploring ways to deepen information exchange; enhancing cooperation, within the existing international framework, for the exchange of information extracted from criminal records, both for criminal and non-criminal purposes, in accordance with existing data protection rules

iv. Enhancing and improving the cooperation in matters related to the transfer of sentenced persons under the existing legal framework

v. Working together to promote civil judicial cooperation in accordance with our mutual responsibilities

4. People-to-people links

i. Building relationships between civil society actors to strengthen their contribution to Romanian and British societies

ii. Identifying where we can work together, and with civil society, to support the rights of persons with disabilities, women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality; promote freedom of religion or belief; tackle all forms of discrimination; and collaborate on other values

iii. Further promoting social inclusion and equal treatment, including through exchanges of good practices on (1) the coordination and interoperability of social services, and (2) equal opportunities

iv. Exchanging experience to strengthen our cultural sectors, including on the successful management of cultural heritage and major cultural events

v. Designing new education exchange programmes, including support for the teaching and learning of Romanian and English as foreign languages

vi. Strengthening bilateral exchanges in higher education

vii. Enhancing the role of the diaspora in strengthening the ties between the peoples of Romania and the UK

5. Cybersecurity, technology, and hybrid threats

i. Supporting coordinated promotion of a free, peaceful, open, secure, and reliable cyberspace, including the full application of the rules-based international order in cyberspace

ii. Promoting rules, norms and guidelines for the ethical and secure use of new and emerging technologies

iii. Exchange expertise and facilitating cooperation in building resilience and in preventing, combatting and mitigating asymmetric and hybrid threats from both state and non-state actors, especially in the Eastern Neighbourhood and in the Western Balkans

iv. Combatting disinformation and other threats to our shared values and interests

6. Promoting trade, investment and entrepreneurship

i. Deepening bilateral economic cooperation, trade and investment links through the establishment of a working group for trade and investment, coordinated by the relevant institutions , with the aim of defining priority areas and opportunities of common interest and an action plan

ii. Sharing policy expertise on priority sectors, including clean growth, renewable energy, green finance, agriculture, digital economy and technology

iii. Promoting the best possible conditions for British and Romanian businesses to contribute to economic growth, including establishing an annual British-Romanian Trade and Investment Forum, to be held alternately in Romania and the UK

iv. Promoting dialogue between the start-up communities in Romania and the UK, in order to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship and to better expose Romanian start-ups to UK investment funds

v. Facilitating collaboration within large-scale research infrastructures and research and innovation projects of mutual interest

Governance arrangements

10. The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania will have overarching responsibility for this Partnership. They or their designated representatives will hold an annual dialogue to review progress, propose new initiatives and consider possibilities for further dialogue and cooperation.

11. The respective bilateral Ambassadors, alongside representatives of their foreign ministries, will lead on the implementation of this Strategic Partnership and report progress to their Ministers.

12. This Declaration may be reviewed or modified by mutual consent. Any modification will be done in writing and take effect on the agreed date.

13. The foregoing represents the understanding reached between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Romania upon the matters referred to therein.

14. This Declaration is not legally binding and does not give rise to any rights or obligations under domestic or international law. It will come into effect on signature and will continue in operation until terminated by either Strategic Partner giving 6 months’ written notice of termination to the other.

Signed in duplicate, in English, in London, on 23 March 2023.