The exhibition, included in the research project “Recent History and Future Anticipation” was realized with the support of the Romanian Foundation for Democracy, and includes facsimiles of high-level correspondence and photographs of official events that marked the course of Romania’s accession to NATO. Its initial vernissage was held in July 2022 at the Library of the Romanian Academy, on the occasion of commemorative events organized in celebration of 25 years since the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States.
The exhibition perfectly captures the most significant moments associated with this reconfiguration of Romanian foreign policy and national security along Euro-Atlantic lines, as well as with Romania’s firm reorientation towards the West, which occurred during the presidential term of Emil Constantinescu. Of these, we highlight:
The OSCE Summit in Lisbon, where Al Gore, Vice-President of the United States, announced US support for the democratic transformations underway in Romania.
French, Italian and German support for Romania’s accession to NATO, expressed at the highest level.
Romania’s historic reconciliation with Hungary and the signing of the Treaty of Good Neighbourliness with Ukraine, achieved in the context where good relations with one’s neighbours were a precondition to NATO membership.
The Trilaterals, known to the US Department of State as “Constantinescu’s triangles”, which led to the emergence of a regional system of security and collaboration. Trilaterals were held between Romania–Moldova–Ukraine, Romania–Poland–Ukraine, Romania–Bulgaria–Turkey, Romania–Bulgaria–Turkey.
The NATO Summit in Madrid, where Nicholas Burns, Spokesperson of the US State Department, confirmed: “Romanians have come from behind like the whirlwind.”
The period between November 1996 and July 1997 saw an ample diplomatic offensive on the part of Romania, in light of the upcoming Madrid decision regarding which countries would make up the first group of Central European countries to be invited to join NATO. The prospect that Romania, having entered the competition less than seven months prior to the Summit, could have reached a situation comparable to that of Poland, Czechia and Hungary – whose effective preparations to join NATO had been launched as early as 1992-1994 – was slim at best. Nevertheless, the maximum possible was attained: Romania’s nomination as forerunner in NATO’s second wave of eastward expansion.
The launch of the Strategic Partnership with the United States, in Bucharest’s University Square, by Presidents Emil Constantinescu and Bill Clinton. The leader of the free world, the President of the United States, argued in his address that Romania was important to America as a model in this difficult part of the world:
Romania can show the people of this region and, indeed, the people of the world, that there is a better way that conflict, division and repression. That is cooperation, freedom and peace.
The Address to the United States Congress. In a speech given before the joint Houses of Congress, with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Richard von Weizsäcker, the President of Germany, Lech Wałęsa, President of Poland and Václav Havel, President of Czechia the only European leaders ever to be have previously been invited to take the floor, Emil Constantinescu underscored that Romania was fully committed to the effort of Euro-Atlantic integration (July 15, 1997).
Romania, a NATO partner in the Yugoslav conflict. Following the NATO Summit in Madrid, Romania behaved like a de facto NATO member, becoming an important interlocutor of the West in issues of regional security and crisis resolution. The pinnacle of Romania’s newly-acquired status was reached during the conflict in Kosovo and the launch and implementation of the Balkan Stability Pact, when the solidarity with the United States, NATO and the European Union that the Romanian President, Government and Parliamentary majority demonstrated were, in effect, a practical test of Romania’s full assumption of its commitments to democracy and liberty.
The NATO Summit in Washington. 50 years after its founding, the North-Atlantic Alliance launched its New Strategic Concept during the anniversary Summit held in Washington. In the Summit’s final Communique, Romania was nominated to head the list of candidate countries for a future expansion of the Alliance. Additionally, as a sign of international appreciation, Romania received the Presidency of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), comprised of NATO member states and the states that had ratified the Partnership for Peace.
The United Kingdom offers support for Romania’s EU integration and NATO accession during a visit of the British Prime-minister to Romania, first floated during a bilateral meeting between President Emil Constantinescu and Prime-minister Tony Blair during the Washington NATO Summit. The Prime-minister of the United Kingdom offered to undertake an official visit to Bucharest, by which to make public the United Kingdom’s support for Romania’s accession to NATO and integration in the European Union.
The EU Summit in Helsinki, where, with the decisive support of the United Kingdom, Romania entered into accession negotiations with the European Union (December 1999).
The OSCE Summit in Istanbul, an international reunion during which Romania’s candidacy to hold the OSCE Presidency between 2001-2002 was unanimously approved.
July 18 2025
November 19 2025
