Parliamentary Assembly

I wish to express my most cordial thanks for your invitation to address the most representative forum of European democracy. It is a great pleasure for me to address the Parliamentary Assembly under your presidency, Mr President. Mr Miguel Angel Martinez has long been a faithful friend of Romania.

We Romanians attach particular significance to this moment, especially as it coincides with the first anniversary of Romania’s accession to the Council of Europe upon the recommendation of the Parliamentary Assembly. May I take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude for the support given to our application. The changes which have taken place in Romania over the last year have clearly highlighted that the Council of Europe’s decision of 1 October 1993 made a substantial contribution to the setting up and consolidation of democratic institutions in Romania. We should like to emphasise, on this occasion, the remarkable activity and spirit of co-operation demonstrated by Mr Friedrich Kdnig and Mr Gunnar Jansson.

I also wish to take this opportunity to express our special esteem for Mrs Catherine Lalumière and the exceptional work she did as Secretary General over five years of unprecedented changes in Europe and our sincere acknowledgment of her support for Romania’s application for membership.

In the same vein, may I again offer Mr Daniel Tarschys our warmest congratulations on being elected to the post of Secretary General of the Organisation and wish him every success in the performance of the considerable duties with all the responsibilities that he must assume. I must also promise him our full support.

In the speech that I made at the Vienna Summit last October, I mentioned the causes and effects of the 1989 Romanian revolution and our nation’s full commitment to democracy as a fundamental factor in its irrevocable decision to join the European bodies. I also spoke of the importance that we attach to the role of the Council of Europe in the process of historic regeneration of Romania society and the construction of a united, democratic, peaceful and prosperous Europe.

I now think it worthwhile for me to summarise the changes which have taken place in Romanian society over the last twelve months and our main concerns at this time.

As far as domestic politics is concerned, two central priorities remain, namely the development and consolidation of the rule of law and its regulatory, legislative and institutional framework plus the normal operation of the institutions specific to a modem democratic society, together with the transition towards a market economy and economic restructuring.

Through accession to the European Convention on Human Rights and ten of its protocols, the provisions of the main instrument of the Council of Europe have become, in accordance with our country’s constitution, an integral part of Romanian domestic law. We have now deposited with the Secretary General the instruments of ratification of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its two protocols. That completes the system of guarantees and protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms in Romania. The European Charter of Local Self-Government has also been signed as an expression of our desire to redistribute responsibilities between central bodies and regional or local tiers of authority, in keeping with the demands of the operation of a modern society.

The draft law on education, whose elaboration has been contributed to by Council of Europe experts making suggestions and giving advice, is now coming before parliament. Another bill before parliament is one on minorities; its provisions strictly observe Council of Europe norms as well as those of the CSCE and United Nations in terms of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

Freedom of expression is a reality in Romanian society. The press, radio and television are vigorous mouthpieces for public opinion. Major national newspapers and a myriad of local radio and television stations operate and contribute to the debate of the principal issues of interest for the Romanian public.

As for the transition towards a market economy and economic restructuring, we might say that the hardest post-revolution period is behind us. In the last year the drop in industrial production has been halted and production has even slightly increased, as the first sign of an economic recovery in the country. Farming, too, has overcome the state of crisis which it was in until recently. This year’s harvest will meet the population’s consumption needs in full while adding to state reserves through sizeable earnings from farm product exports. Thanks to the government’s monetary and taxation policy, the inflation rate has been slashed and the currency and exchange rate have stabilised. Much progress has been made towards achieving a trade balance and building up the state’s currency reserves.

All those factors have led to increased confidence in the precepts and potential of the Romanian economy, leading in turn to a visible increase in the interest taken by foreign investors in Romania. In order to encourage that interest, the parliament has amended the law governing foreign investments in our country so that major investment is protected by further guarantees and arrangements, especially for investment in production.

Romanian society is currently coming to the end of an extremely important phase of reforms, namely the so-called “grand privatisation” affecting over 6 000 major state companies. Parliament is also considering a series of measures proposed by the government to speed up that process. It is our hope that in this way the reforms and economic restructuring will be stimulated by attracting not only internal resources and investment but external capital and loans, positively affecting our people’s living standards.

With these prospects in mind, Romania has decided to sign the European Social Charter today. We have taken this decision in the sure knowledge that the ultimate goal of all the political and economic reforms which we have undertaken is that of improving the living conditions of every member of our society.

For Romania, situated as it is at the crossroads of the main geo-strategic axes of the continent, ensuring peace and stability throughout Europe is a question of vital interest. Consequently, the central thrust of Romania’s foreign policy takes its inspiration from the strategic decision taken on the very first day of the Romanian revolution and still backed today, as then, by every political force in the country, namely Romania’s full integration into all European political, economic and security bodies. It is a perfectly natural decision given that the Romanian nation, by its civilisation, culture, history and geographical position, has always been part and parcel of European culture and civilisation. For us, the 1989 revolution marked the beginning of the restoration and development, in new conditions, of our traditional links with other European nations. It is significant therefore that less than three months after the victorious revolution of December 1989, Romania was already expressing official interest in joining the Council of Europe.

Apart from its participation in the activities of the Council of Europe and the CSCE, Romania is also stepping up its co-operation in all ways with the European Union, Nato and WEU. We are quite satisfied that, once the last two ratifications have been made, our association agreement with the European Union will come into effect in the near future – we hope before the end of the year. That will lay the way open for speeding up the necessary preparations for our becoming a member of that organisation, which we know will not be easy.

Along the same lines, we welcomed the initiative taken by the United States concerning the Partnership for Peace and we recently signed the Individual Partnership Programme between Romania and Nato.

We are involved in interesting co-operation with WEU as an associate partner. We have already had a positive experience of co-operation over action to monitor observance along the Danube of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council on the former Yugoslavia.

Everyone recognises that achievement of a united, democratic, peaceful and prosperous Europe is the joint goal of several organisations and institutions including the CSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Union, Nato and WEU. Substantial contributions are also made by the European programmes of the United Nations and its specialised institutions, especially Unesco, ILO, WHO and FAO, as well as the ECE.

Of all these organisations, the Council of Europe plays a particular role. The Council of Europe is the only organisation with a truly pan-European vocation offering a political framework for exchanges of ideas between all European countries about issues of common interest, linked to the operation of democratic institutions and the consolidation of democracy, the guarantee of human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law. This is the essence of the Council of Europe’s activity and all these issues are at the forefront of interstate relations. The issues of observance and protection of human rights are directly connected with national and Europe-wide stability alike. As a result, the creation of a European democratic area is a vital factor for the stability and security of our continent or, in other words, their democratic dimension.

In view of its position, the Council of Europe is currently conducting priority activities of great importance for future peace and security in Europe, with a view to implementing the decisions taken at the Vienna Summit. First, they are aimed at consolidating the foundations of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. Secondly, the Council is endeavouring to enlarge co-operation between European states in combating instances of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance, which undermine the democratic fabric of European nations and, implicitly, the stability of the continent. The Council’s action in these two priority directions represents a genuine partnership for democracy and stability in Europe, to which Romania is determined to make a constructive contribution.

In view of the over-politicisation of the problem of minorities, we are tempted to address this theme as a source of tension and potential strife. In fact, however, the existence of ethnic minorities all over our continent can and must be regarded in a completely different manner.

When persons belonging to national minorities are satisfied that their rights are being protected as equal and loyal citizens of the states in which they live, including their cultural and spiritual values which enhance and unite European cultural unity, minorities – as integral parts of the societies in which they live – must be regarded as factors for rapprochement, as bridges between the European nations. Such an approach to the minorities issue would be a solid foundation on which we could build up neighbourly relations between states – a requirement which is particularly important and topical.

We are convinced that in order to achieve this objective the Council’s efforts must be matched by work at regional, national and local levels. In this spirit we welcomed the European Union’s initiative regarding the stability pact and expressed our willingness to co-operate with the other states involved in accomplishing the aims of this initiative. Similarly, we are developing positive co-operation with the CSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities.

When bilateral relations are concerned, we are pleased that our relations with Hungary are evolving towards the establishment of mutually advantageous neighbourly relations and friendly co-operation between the two states, which share so many common interests. The talks held during the recent visit of the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Budapest highlighted the willingness of both parties to intensify negotiations with a view to completing the treaty on neighbourly relations and co-operation between Romania and Hungary. The outstanding problems are not insoluble: in late twentieth century Europe there can be no reservations about reaffirming in a treaty the inviolability of borders, and, similarly, the Council of Europe’s standards on human rights make it easy to agree on provisions mutually acceptable to minorities in both countries.

Deeply convinced that a country’s peace and security derive primarily from good relations with its neighbours, Romania desires, and is acting, to extend its neighbourly relations and wide-ranging co-operation with all neighbouring states.

In connection with the Republic of Moldova, whose whole history, culture, language and common spiritual values we share, we have supported, and are continuing to support, the development of this young state, in compliance with the desires and aspirations of its people. At the same time, since it is another Romanian state, it is natural that we should back the development of close, wide-ranging co-operation between both states, in political, economic and human terms, in order to construct a common economic and cultural area.

Romania fully shares the concerns emerging in the Council of Europe – the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers and the Secretariat – to make more effective the Organisation’s action to solve the problems falling under its jurisdiction.

One of these problems, which is the subject of your debate this very afternoon, is the future enlargement of the membership of the Council of Europe and the consequences thereof. In that connection there are many questions surrounding the admission of Russia. Such questions largely derive from the fact that for the first time since the second world war that power, Russia, is aspiring to become a party to a European organisation without the political counterbalance of the United States of America.

Our position is based on a number of considerations of principle. First, by dint of its statute, the Council of Europe is a pan-European organisation, and if we are to achieve our principle aim, that is to say the establishment of a democratic area covering the whole of Europe, all the European states must be parties to this Organisation. There is no doubt that Russia is a European state and that the integration of this state into the general process of democratic development is in the general interest of peace and security on our continent. I consider that the admission of Russia into the Council of Europe, providing it respects the established criteria and the obligations implicit in membership, would also constitute the best possible support from the Council for the democratic transformation of Russia.

In the same spirit and for the same reasons, we support the early admission to the Council of Europe of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, Latvia and all the other applicant states.

We also consider that it is in our common interest to provide a positive response to the Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani hopes for membership of the Council of Europe, given that they are closely linked to Europe through their history, civilisation and geographical position.

I would take this opportunity to extend to the Andorran delegation attending this Parliamentary Assembly session my warmest congratulations for the adoption, during yesterday’s sitting, of the recommendation for the admission to this great Organisation, of Andorra, a country which is rooted in an ancient Latin culture.

Another problem of common interest, the solution to which is of crucial importance in the construction of a European democratic area, is the economic rehabilitation of the countries of central and eastern Europe and the genuine integration of those

countries’ economies into the European economy. For us, there is no rational alternative to successful economic reform and restructuring. The failure of the programmes of change to which we have committed ourselves would mean not only perpetuating poverty and the danger of further conflicts arising, including conflicts in the social sphere, in the countries concerned, but an increase in emigration, intolerance, terrorism, xenophobia, racism and drug trafficking throughout Europe. As we see it, a stable Europe can only be a democratic, prosperous Europe free from regional conflicts and threats.

The assistance and support given to the countries of central and eastern Europe by the Council of Europe and other organisations, for which we are grateful, are extremely useful for the immediate purposes of the programmes designed to change the political, economic and social make-up of the countries concerned. But they are wholly inadequate to meet the development needs of a modern economy. What we need is not assistance or help, but a fundamental change in approach to the problems of transition in the countries of central and eastern Europe with the aim of developing co-operation on a continental scale, an economic partnership making it possible to dismantle the barriers which still keep Europe in a worrying and dangerous state of division, where the political and ideological “iron curtain” is in danger of being replaced by another one of an economic kind.

Of course, the Council of Europe does not have the material resources to back up such an effort on a gigantic scale. However, as the principal pan-European forum it is able to contribute to shaping a European awareness which would favour the organisation of a massive effort, a genuine European solidarity, a partnership for development such as to ensure success in the reforms in central and eastern Europe, in the common interest of peace, understanding and stability. The success of these reforms is an absolute precondition if the noble idea of a democratic organisation of society is not to be jeopardised over a large part of the continent, with unpredictable repercussions for Europe.

As far as we concerned, our choice to integrate into the European Union is clear and irreversible. We know that the road we have to travel in order to satisfy the requirements of co-operation within this Organisation is not an easy or a short one. We are also aware that it is we ourselves who must shoulder the brunt of efforts to build a modern, viable and competitive economy. This is our only hope if we are to become one of the world’s developed prosperous nations.

We consider that regional co-operation plays an important part in our economic development and in our progress towards European integration. For that reason, Romania is taking an active interest in the co-operation programmes in the Black Sea, Danube basin and central Europe. These projects are not and cannot be regarded as alternatives to European integration. They can be important steps towards stability and development, which are prerequisites for European integration. Once the conflict in the former Yugoslavia has been resolved, we envisage supporting the relaunching of co-operation in the Balkans by every possible means.

Nor does our approach towards European integration and regional co-operation – as a means of speeding up development and reinforcing stability in the areas in question – lose sight of the tendencies towards economic integration at the global level. That is what makes us determined, in order to keep in step with the spirit and the reality of the age, to develop our co-operative relations with countries in other geographic zones with which we have traditional links, and primarily with the United States of America. Following the talks we had a few days ago with President Clinton, it can be clearly stated that, as a result of the part they play in the security structures of our continent and through their increased co-operation with the countries of central and eastern Europe, the United States intends to continue supporting the preservation and consolidation of security and stability in Europe.

As I have said, the Council of Europe is not alone in its efforts to build a united, democratic, prosperous Europe. Alongside it, working in different perspectives, are other organisations doing valuable work, of which the most prominent are the CSCE, the European Union, Nato and WEU. In our opinion, all of these organisations must be regarded as complementing each other rather than competing.

For that reason, in order to increase their effectiveness and ensure consistency in their activities, as well as to reduce and eliminate duplication, it is essential that there should be close co-operation among them, each one concentrating on problems within its principal field of expertise and activity. In this connection, we welcome the interest being shown within the Council of Europe framework in the development of co-operation with other organisations such as EBRD, OECD, Unesco, ILO, WHO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, which have substantial programmes of co-operation among European countries.

The debates organised periodically in this Assembly on problems of co-operation with organisations such as OECD and EBRD deserve our full appreciation. Similarly, we support the proposals for streamlining of the Council’s activities by focusing on its principal responsibilities, that is to say, the consolidation of democratic institutions, the protection and safeguarding of human rights and the upholding of the rule of law in every European country.

So much for a brief statement of our principal concerns. Our progress along the chosen path, that of democracy and the social market economy, is irreversible and evident, but it is not easy. We are facing great economic and social difficulties. We have to overcome in-built resistance to change.

Nonetheless, we are convinced that the most difficult time is behind us. We cherish the hope that the foundations have been laid to enable us to set our sights on the next stage: the effective functioning of a democratic, legislative and regulatory framework, and the promotion of the basic rights and freedoms of man, as well as the economic recovery of my country. In this way we shall be able to tackle more effectively the grave social problems with which my country is confronted, and to provide the necessary material and financial means of protecting the health and security of every individual while imparting an impetus to science, culture and education.

The progress achieved so far and the prospects now opening up reinforce our firm belief in the country’s capacity for regeneration, and in positive changes in Romania. I should like to assure the Parliamentary Assembly that, in its difficult task of constructing the European democratic area, the Council of Europe has and will always have in Romania a credible, resolute and faithful partner, respectful of the rules of the game and of its international obligations.