US Ambassador to Romania gives interview to Editor-in-Chief of Universul.net

 

Dan Turturică: Mr. Ambassador, many years ago, when you left Romania with your family, the prospect of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership seemed completely impossible; today is a reality. But we can quickly forget how hard we got to this point. Especially, the new generation seems tempted to take this partnership for granted. For this reason, I would like to remind you what this partnership represents for the USA and for Romania?

Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman:   Dan, first of all, I'm very pleased to see you today. Since you mentioned my childhood, to answer, let me connect with the past. As you know, I was born in Bucharest many years ago. My family and I ran away from communism when I was nine years old. It was a terrible time, and I was extremely fortunate to be back here a year ago as President Trump's appointed ambassador. 

Meanwhile, the story should begin after World War II, when the communist regime completely destroyed this country. In 1989, the Revolution took place, many other countries prospered and, more obviously, the countries of the former communist bloc. Unfortunately, the Romanian Revolution was not complete, there were still things to be done. But there has been tremendous progress and it continues every day.

I think that Romania is a better country today, I think that the progress made this year has been remarkable in terms of economic development, military cooperation in the field of defense, in the social field, the application of the rule of law. I believe that the credit for this enormous progress must be given to the current government. I would say that more progress has been made this year than there has been since the Revolution. We can discuss them in more detail if you want

DT: Of course .

AZ : But I would like to assure readers that Romania has no better friend than the United States and the American people. One of the most important concerns of the United States is to maintain and uphold the integrity, both socially and of Romania's borders, to support Romanians so that their standard of living increases and to ensure that Romania will continue in the future as a very, very prosperous and independent.  

DT : There is a saying that says, "No meal is free," so people wonder, "What does the US gain from this partnership?" Why is the USA interested in Romania, in this partnership, and how exactly does Romania benefit from it? ”

AZ : I believe that today there is an incredible symbiotic relationship between the United States, Romania, the European Union and NATO. Romania is a key player on the eastern flank of Europe and, together with Poland, is two essential allies for European security. Romania is an oasis of freedom and has a great potential for economic prosperity. Its trade with the United States is intensifying, Romania provides a basis for the economic development of Europe. The best ally the US can have is a partner with a strong economy and defense. I think we now see both attributes in Romania and things continue to progress.

         From an economic point of view, this year we started a series of very, very substantial projects. One is the refurbishment of the Cernavoda plant: we coordinate the reconditioning of a reactor and the construction of two new reactors at Cernavoda. The process has a Romanian component, a French component, a Canadian component and all will be coordinated by an American company. Prior to that, there was a contract with a Chinese company called CGN, China General. As in the case of many other Chinese companies active internationally, CGN was charged with fraud and corrupt practices and, earlier this year, the Romanian government terminated the contract and agreement with them on the Cernavoda project. 

DT : How difficult was it to change the companies involved in this contract, because, at one point, the agreement with the Chinese seemed to be nailed down?

AZ : I think the Orban government and President Iohannis have been very supportive of this change. It has been a pleasure working with them this year. Also, for several years, the Chinese company did nothing there. It was possible to approach the Orban Government and discuss a business plan to recondition a reactor and build two new reactors in a relatively short time for this type of process. 

         We also recently signed a $ 7 billion financing package with the US Import-Export Bank (US ExIm) to finance this work. There will also be participants in the project, who will contribute capital and debts to finance the project. It will be an extraordinary project that will be done very, very quickly for this kind of work. When completed, it will generate about 40% of Romania's electricity needs, which is an impressive percentage. As you may know, but some of your readers may not know, Romania ranks second in the top oil and gas producers in Europe. I think that when the Cernavoda project will become operational, but also when the Black Sea oil and gas stations will become operational, Romania will become number 1 in Europe in oil and gas production. It is a well-deserved place where Romania can be found.      

DT: When do you estimate that the Cernavoda project will be completed? 

AZ : Reconditioning of the first unit probably in three or four years, and the other units in two or three years after that. It is a complex and sophisticated project, but all three of these reactors should be operational and operational in no more than 10 years, but probably in about seven or eight years. 

DT: You mentioned a very important project, related to the natural gas in the Black Sea, which, unfortunately, after a very good start, the discovery of significant resources, was blocked. We partially know the reason. It is about the actions of the Dragnea Government, the multitude of twisted changes of laws and decisions that were not well received by investors. But is natural gas still there, and I was wondering what the chance to resume the project looks like now, from the perspective of the American companies involved? Will we finally see a Romanian-American cooperation in this field or does a reset and restart of the project with other partners seem more probable? 

AZ:    I strongly insist, as we say in America, on oil and gas production on the Black Sea platform. As we speak, there is a company called Black Sea Oil and Gas (BSOG) that is now installing an underwater pipeline that will connect the offshore extraction platforms with the onshore unit. The company expects to be able to start exporting natural gas from the Black Sea platform to various regions of Romania and abroad starting in the second half of 2021.

         The largest perimeter, "Neptune Deep", has made slower progress, especially…

DT: Are you talking about the one in which Exxon is involved?

AZ:    Yes, the one in which Exxon is involved.

         … Mainly due to the adverse effects of previously adopted laws. We are optimistic that the Orban Government and Parliament will address and change these laws next year, to motivate Exxon and its partners, including Romgaz, to produce and extract natural gas from these fields, which are very, very lucrative; and thus it would cover not only much of the needs of Eastern Europe, but also part of the demand of Western Europe. 

         For those of you who may not understand, Russia's natural gas production is used as a weapon for the distribution of gas to European countries that Russia favors, to influence their policies; Russia can cut off energy supply at any time. Russian gas company Gazprom is trying to use gas distribution as an instrument of Russia's foreign policy. Europe's energy independence is one of the areas in which the US and its allies in Europe have been working very hard in recent years to reduce the pressure on European countries. 

DT: Poland has made significant progress. In this context, I want to refer to the opinions of some of the economic and political analysts in Romania, who stated that military security in the Black Sea area would be strengthened by starting American investments in offshore gas exploitation. Do you share this perspective?

AZ:   Entirely. If we look at the current situation, the United States and its European partners opposed the completion of the NORDSTREAM 2 project, which would allow Russians to choose who to supply natural gas to and who not. Likewise, now the Russians are trying to build the TURKSTREAM 2 project, in order to have another natural gas supply highway and use it as a weapon. We must remember that since the Russians invaded Crimea and Ukraine, they have largely militarized the Black Sea region. The former Russian fleet, before the invasion of Crimea, was represented by many old, rusty ships. Now it's an ultra-modern fleet. He carries out very aggressive military exercises in the Black Sea region and declares many of the areas of the Black Sea areas prohibited from commercial traffic. He is trying to control this and is straining his muscles to push the military and trade forces of other countries out of certain areas of the Black Sea. It is a situation that we will not tolerate or allow. And it all comes down to having the power to influence states through the strategic use of energy resources. Substantial natural gas production by Romania will eliminate much of this pressure.

DT: If you kept touching the subject of security challenges in the Black Sea region, how would you assess Romania's progress in preparing the army to meet these challenges? I had known for a long time that the defense of the Romanian Black Sea coast was a vulnerable point. We have certainly made major progress in purchasing many important military equipment. But, let's say, on a scale that includes the point from which we started and the point where it would be ideal to find ourselves, where are we now? Are we halfway there?

AZ:    Defense cooperation between the United States, Romania and NATO has never been closer. I believe that bilateral relations between the United States and Romania, not only when it comes to military cooperation, but also about economic development and other issues, in turn, have never been closer. Huge progress has been made this year. Leaving aside the missile defense from Deveselu, the Aegis system, we are in the process of modernizing Romania's armed forces, its land, air and naval forces.

         Communication between the Romanian Ministry of National Defense and the US Department of Defense has never been more effective. We managed to establish, this year, regular communication sessions, weekly, or every two weeks, at a very, very high level, between the two mentioned institutions. We managed to get the Romanian military to participate in missions with the American military, to have contact with senior personnel in Europe, to ensure a very high level of cooperation. 

         And the modernization of Romania's equipment ensures interoperability with the technique used by NATO and the USA, I mean F-16 planes, I mean helicopters, drones, I mean all kinds of equipment needed to be sure that, as allies, we fight shoulder to shoulder, without any problems between us.

         As I said, the United States will not tolerate any lack of security or threat to the integrity of Romania's borders.

DT: Is there a critical threshold in terms of military acquisitions that we should exceed? I saw the purchase of the Patriot system, I negotiated for the HIMARS missile system. Is there another important element coming soon?

AZ:    In terms of weapons systems, I think there are a few different weapons systems; I will not talk about them today.

         I would like to emphasize that the Patriot system, which is to be delivered and installed in Romania, is of the same caliber as the one used by the United States and represents the latest and most advanced technology. The same applies to the HIMARS system and will be valid for the other high-tech systems that will be mobilized in Romania.

         Also this year we continue to deploy American forces in Romania by rotation. The number of military personnel deployed in rotation will increase as we advance in time; I reiterate: this is the firm commitment of the United States to the independence and integrity of Romania's borders. Romania and Poland are essential allies in defending Europe and its eastern border.

DT: Are you optimistic that in the near future you will be able to unblock the "no access" area that Russia imposes in the Black Sea region?

AZ:    I think that the security of the Black Sea, the regional security of the Black Sea is a very complex issue, because, as you well know, there are many states that have access to the Black Sea, not only those in the west - Romania, Bulgaria , Turkey, Ukraine, but also those in the east. Therefore, the challenges of restricting the transport, trade and access to the Black Sea of ​​the military devices of other states must not exist, we will make sure of that.

DT: Economic cooperation is closely linked to security issues. You recently announced the project of a corridor linking the Polish port of Gdansk to the port of Constanta, as part of the so-called "Via Carpathia", within the Three Seas Initiative. Subsequently, you provided detailed information, the fact that there are mixed teams, with members from the Embassy and the Ministry of Transport, who decide on the segments in Romania where this route will pass. Can you tell us more about the status of this project?

AZ:    In my opinion, this project is a crucial project, the most ambitious that Romania could start. The benefits brought to the Romanian economy through Via Carpathia, which will unite Constanța and Gdansk, and through the accompanying railway - which we call “ Rail to the Sea) ”Are crucial. As I am sure you already know, Constanța is the best deep sea port on the Black Sea. It has limited capacity not because of the facilities in the port, but because of the infrastructure that serves the port. Not enough ports enter here and not enough containers can leave to increase the capacity of the port. This road and railway will address these issues, will allow a much faster and better entry into and exit from the port, precisely from the Baltic Sea. It is the dream of years not only of Romania, but also of Poland. The benefits to the Romanian and Polish economy, but also to the economies of Eastern Europe will be absolutely remarkable. The road will not pass through Ukraine, it will leave Constanța, it will pass through Bucharest, it will continue in Bulgaria, then in Hungary, it will cross Hungary, it will pass in Slovakia, I think,

         The route will allow other cities to connect to this commercial "backbone" in order to grow. As you may know, I recently went to Iasi. I visited the headquarters of Amazon, the headquarters and factory of a company called BorgWarner, which makes injection systems for engines in the car, truck and car manufacturing industry. I went to the University of Agricultural Sciences in Iasi. Everyone says that Iasi is an island. The reason it is an island is because it has inferior infrastructure. For a director of a company in Iasi to reach Brussels or Luxembourg, he has to embark on three flights. It's even worse by car. So what should be a two- to three-hour trip turns into a one-day trip. The city cannot develop and it has been questioned that Iasi no longer competes only with Cluj, Bucharest or Timisoara. Now, Iasi competes with Madrid, Berlin, London, Paris. In order to maintain this competition, this type of infrastructure is desperately needed. Iasi needs to be connected by a highway and a railway to such a north-south highway - highway, railway - to grow. Once these projects are started, it will grow rapidly. In recent days, Prime Minister Orban announced his support for a road project linking Iasi to this highway on the north-south axis. I think other similar projects will follow. there is a desperate need for this type of infrastructure. Iasi needs to be connected by a highway and a railway to such a north-south highway - highway, railway - to grow. Once these projects are launched, it will grow rapidly. In recent days, Prime Minister Orban announced his support for a road project linking Iasi to this highway on the north-south axis. I think other similar projects will follow. there is a desperate need for this type of infrastructure. Iasi needs to be connected by a highway and a railway to such a north-south highway - highway, railway - to grow. Once these projects are started, it will grow rapidly. In recent days, Prime Minister Orban announced his support for a road project linking Iasi to this highway on the north-south axis. I think other similar projects will follow. his support for a road project that would connect Iasi with this highway on the north-south axis. I think other similar projects will follow. his support for a road project linking Iasi to this highway on the north-south axis. I think other similar projects will follow.

        I had meetings with Transport Minister Bode. We talked about highway routes. We talked about funding. We have discussed many other pertinent issues on this subject, which are very important. The Minister has appointed a working group, the Embassy has a working group and we are trying to complete these plans and actually start work as soon as humanly possible.

DT: When do you expect the plans to be completed?

AZ:    I think it will take a few more months, unfortunately, but I think the plans need to be drawn up correctly to avoid further disasters.

DT: But as far as I understand, the main axis of Via Carpathia in Romania will also be on the east-west direction, from Constanța, to the west, to Bucharest, then to the west or northwest - west, to a connection through Hungary. From the information you have at the moment, will the Bucharest - Pitești - Sibiu corridor be used or will another route be used than the Pitești - Sibiu highway, which is being built at the moment?

AZ:    I think that's a very good question. This is one of the issues we are currently discussing. Our working group discusses this issue with the working group of Minister Bode and I would like to be able to answer "Yes" to all questions, because in Romania we need not only one, but several highways…

DT: For Iași to connect to Via Carpathia, another project would be needed to link it to the main route.

AZ:    You are absolutely right. There are many other major infrastructure projects that need to be started. The Orban government is determined to carry them out, Cabinet members are determined to start other projects, they have realized the urgent need and crucial importance of these types of developments that have been stalled for far too many years and perhaps projects that have not been stalled have not been not even taken into account for the development of Romania. 

I think that Romania has an enormous, enormous potential, if it is allowed to develop in a free and democratic way. And what I mean by "free" is the free market, where the government takes a step back and leaves the free market to follow its course and grow. I believe that Romania can become one of the leaders of Europe in a very short time, if it is allowed to do so.

DT: Romanians know that they and the country have a lot of potential. But, as you mentioned, they have seen, year after year, how this potential is not realized, and that has generated anger and frustration. But to no avail, because nothing has changed. There are also two important components in the project of the Constanta-Gdansk connection. One is project planning and execution. The second, funding. If we are still talking about Via Carpathia and the rail link, are American banks and other financial institutions already showing interest in financing these projects, or is this an issue that will need to be addressed later? What are the chances that these projects will be funded by American institutions?

AZ:    I think there is a very good chance. The president of ExIm Bank will be here next week, and this is one of the projects on the agenda. As I said earlier, Exim Bank has allocated funding of up to seven billion dollars to the Cernavoda project. This is one of the projects we will discuss in the context of Romania's economic development.

         But the real answer to your question does not necessarily lie in the "funding" component; when we analyze why the projects have not been completed in the past, you have to analyze what has happened in the country in the last seven, eight, nine years and especially in the last two or three years. 2019, 2018, 2017, fraud, acts of corruption, lack of transparency must stop.

         There must be accountability, transparency, and the application of the rule of law is essential. None of this can materialize if we do not adhere to the rule of law. And the rule of law must be applied fairly and equitably to everyone. You need an independent judiciary, full access to the judiciary to get investment, funding, to get other things that are desperately needed here.

         People need to understand that the past marked by endemic corruption will come to an end. If corruption does not end and the rule of law does not apply and we do not have transparency, none of this will be successfully completed. The corruption of the past must end. Mr. Dragnea is in prison, there are others who collaborated with him, they helped him, I mean the red barons, but there are others. As President Iohannis said, the revolution has not been completed, the revolution must be complete. The rule of law must prevail in Romania, for Romania to occupy its rightful place in Europe.

DT: Next Sunday we have parliamentary elections in Romania, it is a good time to reflect a little on what happened in the last electoral cycle. In the first three years, we already know the damage done to the institutions of justice and the rule of law. What do you think about the progress of the last year, since, as you mentioned, Dragnea was sent to prison?

AZ:    I'm very optimistic. I think huge progress has been made. I believe that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vela, the Minister of Justice Predoiu have made great efforts to make this progress. I believe, based on my discussions and meetings with the Minister of Justice, shortly after my arrival, that it took months before the positions in the Ministry of Justice that had been decimated by the previous government could be re-occupied. I couldn't arrange meetings with him because he didn't have employees to handle this. Likewise, I know that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vela, suffered the same thing.

         I think that recently, as you saw, a few weeks ago, the Minister of Internal Affairs launched raids against organized crime groups, human traffickers and others, in eight or ten cities in Romania. Six, seven hundred people have been detained, and things don't stop there. He called it "Z Day," referring to "Zero Tolerance" - maybe he was referring to me, Z from Zuckerman, I don't know - but I announced a plan to combat human trafficking, a terrible scourge. A shame for this country, it has no place in Romania and it must end! I think that the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Justice have laid the foundations of a program. We continue to collaborate diligently.

         Many arrests have been made and more arrests will have to be made to eradicate clans, organized crime groups and human traffickers in Romania. I think that Ministers Vela and Predoiu are very, very serious in terms of eliminating and combating human trafficking, I think they have accepted the plan proposed by the State Department. We work very closely with our law enforcement groups and we have made incredible progress in these areas. The law enforcement collaboration has been absolutely superb.

         I have made a commitment, to Prime Minister Orban, but also to Ministers Vela and Predoiu, that we will make available all the levers in terms of law enforcement that the United States has to help Romania in the fight against trafficking. of people, but also of organized crime, here in the country.

DT: The fight against human trafficking is one of the most important issues you touch on in almost all public appearances. I began to investigate this subject in more detail after I saw that you insisted on it; then I found that we are in a worrying position in the annual report prepared by the State Department on this subject. Now, we are on the List of Countries under Monitoring, Level 2, for the second consecutive year, so if the State Department does not consider sufficient the progress you mentioned, there is a risk that Romania will demote to Level 3; I was very surprised to learn that if this happens, it would also have an impact on the funding of the various projects you specified earlier. You may want to go into detail, because many people in Romania still do not understand how serious this problem is, which the state does not take seriously enough.

AZ: If Romania downgrades to Level 3, this will affect the financing, lending and other similar programs that the United States helps Romania with. It is a law passed by Congress, whose purpose is to discourage human trafficking, which should not exist. It's a shame, a scourge and it infuriates me a lot. Certainly, it should not exist in a country like Romania.

         Here, the good news is that we had many, many meetings with Minister Vela and Minister of Justice Predoiu and other people and we accepted the plan proposed by the State Department to address the issue of human trafficking, which should be implemented. I brought a copy with me. Romania has a lot to do to promote from Level 2 on the List of Countries under Monitoring to Level 1, where it should be included.

DT: Is this the plan mentioned in the report?

AZ:    Yes, it is mentioned in the report; involves suggestions on how Romania should proceed.

DT: There are many suggestions; the list is quite long.

AZ:    Again, the two main themes - there are many specific suggestions, but the two main themes are the application of the rule of law - emergency trial, independence of the judiciary, arrest and prosecution of offenders - and providing assistance to victims , which I had not mentioned - we focused on it.

         And I'm glad I can say that I worked on a plan, which I alluded to about a week or two ago, when the new mayor of Bucharest paid me a visit to the Embassy and which I want to reveal now - we will makes this public in a week or two - it is about a plan to offer, in Bucharest, accommodation and shelter for victims of human trafficking. 

         And I worked with His Beatitude Daniel, ANITP - National Agency against Trafficking in Human Beings, I also collaborated with Bucharest City Hall, which initiated its own task force to combat human trafficking. It is a very serious problem, organized crime and human trafficking have no place in Romania.

DT: So, to be even clearer, if these advances are not considered sufficient, even the financing of the Cernavoda project would be in jeopardy. It is?

AZ:    Theoretically, you're right. I have hope and confidence in the goodwill of people like Prime Minister Orban, President Iohannis, Minister Vela, Minister Predoiu to implement and start these plans. I see no reason why he should not do this, it is an effort that we should all initiate.

DT: One of the elements of the Trafficking in Persons Report is corruption, the occult links between organized crime groups and those who should prosecute, prosecute or prosecute them. Have you found that the authorities understand how serious these criticisms are? Because if those who commit such crimes are protected by people from the central administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or by prosecutors and judges, of course all efforts will be in vain. What did the people responsible for this answer you when you approached them? 

AZ:    I think it's an unfortunate situation. To answer your question in context, we must go back in time, 30, almost 31 years ago, to the revolution, to the fall of the communist regime. The communist government gutted and completely destroyed this country, for generations. And, unfortunately, there are still reminiscences.

         Much progress has been made, but not enough, I believe there are reminiscences in many parties and I believe that as Romania advances, all corrupt people must be removed from positions of authority and prosecuted under the harshest rigors of the law, which which brings us back, once again, to the issue of the independence of the judiciary and the application of the rule of law, which were overlooked under the Dragnea regime by the previous government. The rule of law and many laws, criminal laws, have been relaxed, some even repealed and this cannot remain the case. There are many who are trying to restore previous laws so that the application of the rule of law can re-enter into force, and corrupt people can be prosecuted under the harshest rigors of the law.

DT: For many years, the fight against corruption has been a topic of cooperation between the authorities in the United States and those in Romania. Some time ago, you mentioned a roadmap concluded by the US Department of Justice and the Romanian Ministry of Justice. What is the status of that roadmap and proposed objectives? How far have we come and how much more do we have to go through this process?

AZ:    The US State Department group dealing with these issues is called J / TIP. And he proposed the Human Trafficking Report. The Minister of Justice accepted the recommendations, which are fully implemented. I think that this year, the statistics on arrests and indictments, compared to last year, are increasing dramatically, which I find remarkable, because we have not yet talked about the elephant in the room, namely COVID-19. Therefore, given the context of COVID-19, the fact that we see all these positive measures taken so far by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Internal Affairs to implement and follow this roadmap is remarkable.

DT: You said that in order to gain access to finance and to be able to finally succeed in building the projects that are urgently needed in Romania, the fight against corruption is crucial. The same answer was offered, over time, to all journalists who asked "what needs to happen in Romania to attract more American investment?". Are we at the point where we have done enough to see an acceleration of American investment in Romania or do we still have work to do?

AZ:    I'm not sure what "doing enough" really means. I think that this year, in terms of economic progress, if you analyze not only military projects, related to defense that are really substantial, but if you analyze projects such as Cernavoda, the highway and the railway that connects Constanta to Gdansk and others projects that are currently being considered, this year has been extraordinary. I know that one of the objectives of Minister of Transport Bode was to build infrastructure; working on several projects. But in terms of attracting American investors here, it's a long process.

         I work closely with the American Chamber of Commerce here, an extraordinary group, the presence of American companies on the Romanian market is already significant. For example, Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola are present, many consulting and accounting firms, such as PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). You have pharmaceutical companies, technology companies. And speaking of technology, Cluj and Bucharest, especially Cluj, are a destination for Europeans to come to Romania to work in the field of technology.

         In addition to this field, at the same time, from Cluj and Bucharest, many people, many Romanians, leave Romania, not so much because they cannot find a job or cannot be at the desired standard of living, but because they have lost the hope that tomorrow will be better for them and their families. I think that as soon as the programs we have discussed are allowed to reach maturity and progress, I have every hope that the people who emigrate, the people that this country, Romania, needs most, will return, because they will not. only they are educated people, professionals, but also entrepreneurs, people who have the courage to go in search of a better life for themselves and their families, in other countries in Western Europe, the United States and other countries.

         So, I hope that as soon as we allow a Romania that runs on the basis of the free market to take the reins - and this can only be possible if the rule of law applies and if the judiciary is independent, which I believe has been repeated. every ambassador appointed to this country in the last 20, 30 years - we can achieve this, and it is crucial!

         There are a lot of companies present here, they need to expand. I mentioned earlier the Amazon model, a real story from Iași. They want to do more. I can't do more, there are obstacles, people don't want to go there because of the limitations related to the infrastructure and, therefore, the travel time. The same goes for BorgWarner and other companies in many other cities.

DT: To understand exactly, you say that if Romania continues on this path, strengthening the rule of law and repairing the damage to judicial institutions, we could expect American banks or financial institutions to provide funds for large-scale projects such as would it be highways, railways? Could we see American companies coming to Romania to build and work on these projects? Is it a certainty?

AZ:    Nothing is certain in the world, but let me give you two more examples. One - when the current government took power from the previous government, in November last year, Minister Câțu informed me that the previous government kept two rows of accounting records. They had not paid their bills for more than a year, and they were bills for daily services provided to the government. Who knows what else they were doing? Who knows what other funds were used for? On the same model, the former mayor of Bucharest set up 21 or 23 companies against which, in the last two, three, four years, two court decisions were issued, specifying their closure, on the grounds that they had been set up illegally and had to be deregistered. This did not happen. Companies continue to operate.

         Moreover, also on the same model, in Romania, there are more than 1,200 municipal and state companies. Another few hundred - three, four, five hundred companies - partly owned by the state and town halls. The PSD government, considering that it had control in the Parliament, adopted legislative acts that prevented privatization. If you do not privatize these companies, you prevent competition, you do not have a free market, no one can compete with them. Who will compete with the government? It's not possible. They will abusively lower prices, they will scare the opposition, you can't compete!

         At the same time, beyond limiting the efficiency of markets and limiting the creation of competition, they are a reserve for political patronage, encourage corruption and will continue these bad habits. If someone owns a public company (joint stock company, listed on the stock exchange, not a state-owned company), it falls under the application of the rule of law, transparency, innovation, creativity, the person will want to expand, will had good plans and will contribute to the improvement of Romania.

         So this is an issue that needs to be addressed. And, I repeat, it all comes down to the rule of law and transparency. We cannot continue to fuel corruption and political patronage in this country. If they continue, Romania will not be able to reach its potential.

DT: You've been here a year 

AZ : Less than a year. It will be a year in mid-December. In two weeks it will be a year. 

DT: But the embassy was here even in the first three years of this election cycle and I am curious what were the answers from former Romanian officials when asked by members of the US embassy about these issues - "Why not do more against corruption , why did you change the laws of justice for the benefit of corrupt people? ”. To all these essential questions, what answers did US officials receive from members of the previous government? 

 AZ:  Some of these were, in fact, non-answers. Some were promises that problems would be solved and promises were never fulfilled. Some were just naughty answers like "take care of your business". I don't think what I'm saying today is anything new. I think every American ambassador for the last 20, 30 years has said the same thing. We are interested in the issues of democracy development, of promoting human rights, which we believe our allies should respect. 

          For example, the free market economy, as we have in the United States, has created more prosperity in the world than any other economic system has ever created. It has lifted people out of poverty, enriched countries and individuals, and peoples as a whole, and eliminated the problems of corruption. I do not want to insist on the rule of law and transparency, but they must be implemented here, without exception.  

 DT: However, as we have seen so many times, many Romanians still vote for politicians and parties that do not respect these essential principles and values. Given that parliamentary elections will take place in a few days, what would you say to Romanians who continue to vote for politicians who act only for their own interest?  

AZ:    You know that we do not choose the winners and losers in elections, in any country, and even more so in Romania. We support ideas that are important to the United States. From the first day I arrived here, we talked about the issues I mentioned earlier. We believe in people's right to self-determination and in their right to do what best serves their own interests. We hope that the people will respect the democratic process and will seek and obtain a better Romania, for themselves and their children. I think this is a time of great hope and expectation, and I think that since I arrived here, as I mentioned earlier, a lot has been achieved. So I hope that this trend will continue in the future.  

   DT: It was a difficult year, COVID-19 changed a lot of things around the world. How has the cooperation between Romania and the USA in the fight against the pandemic gone, so far, and what are the prospects for the future? 

AZ:   At the beginning, and unfortunately this beginning was too long ago, for this scourge - and before we talk about it, I want to say that we are all talking about COVID-19 and what Romania should do, or what would must do the United States or other countries. But we never talk about the source of the pandemic: China was the source of COVID-19! China is the real problem here! Everyone seems to forget that, and we can talk about China in other contexts as well. But this whole problem started in China. China has created this problem, which has upset the world's economies. He turned the people of the same country against each other in terms of the best solution to protect and keep them safe. He turned countries against each other, closing borders in an attempt to keep his people safe. 

           Secondly, Romania and the United States have supported each other a lot, from the very beginning and this continues. The US helped financially. American companies in Romania have donated millions in cash and other contributions to the Romanian people. The US government donated money, cash equivalents, and various personal protective equipment to Romania, and supported the Romanian people in other ways. The Romanian people, in a great gesture - from my point of view it was an incredibly generous gesture - sent doctors and other specialists to the United States, to help the people there in the fight against COVID-19, to share the experience which they acquired here. And now everyone is working on a vaccine. As far as I know, some vaccines are already ready and I think they are being distributed. 

DT: Do you personally intend to get vaccinated?  

AZ:    Absolutely.  

 DT: Will the vaccine be available?  

  AZ:  I was told that we will probably have a vaccine here at the embassy at some point in January, as anticipated, and I will definitely get vaccinated.   

 DT: This year, we have witnessed efforts by foreign powers to deny the existence of COVID-19 disease, and then to induce the idea of ​​the uselessness of a vaccine. How do you appreciate the efforts to combat this intense propaganda, which is not limited to the pandemic, which is taking place to undermine military cooperation, within the NATO Alliance, trust in state institutions and democratic processes? 

AZ:    It's a serious problem. I think we are talking here about the typical list of malignant actors: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, which creates stories about COVID-19. They try to instill mistrust and instability, and generate lies. COVID-19 is a problem. Thank God she is not responsible for even more deaths than they are now. Most people who become infected with COVID-19 fully recover, but unfortunately many, many people have lost their lives, which is a terrible tragedy, and they are with all the families who lost a loved one in the fight. with COVID-19. It is a tragedy and it is sad that so many of these evil actors are using it as a destabilizing force to attack Western democracies.  

DT: We are most likely heading for a change at the White House and I was wondering how this will affect your mission. here in Romania? Will you continue to be the US ambassador to Bucharest for a while?

 AZ:  You said we were heading for a change, but we're not there yet. I think one of the wonderful things about the American voting process is the peaceful transition of power. There are still questions raised about various issues in the electoral process. I am sure that these will be resolved, in one way or another, in the near future and we will have a President inaugurated on January 20th. All ambassadors resign, which are either accepted or rejected by the administration taking the oath on 20 January. Until someone tells me otherwise, I am still an ambassador here and I look forward to continuing as such.  

  DT: Ambassador, you are very involved in what is happening in Romania and in the good development of the partnership between our countries, and given that we are having this discussion one day before the celebration of Romania's National Day, I would like to invite you to send a message to Romanians, if you want even in Romanian, a language you speak very well. 

AZ:    Thank you. Congratulations on the 102nd anniversary of the Great Union! In my opinion, Romania has made immense progress this year and I hope to continue them many years from now and to occupy the place it deserves, among the leading countries in the European Union!   

DT : Thank you, Ambassador.  

 AZ:  Thanks too. It was a pleasure to be here with you today, Dan. 

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