Atlantic Council Romania Events

On the sidelines of the Atlantic Council’s tenth Annual Global Energy Forum, experts from Romania, Bulgaria, and the US examined risks facing Central and Eastern Europe’s energy infrastructure, the role of US-European partnerships in driving key projects, and strategies for building more resilient energy systems.

A week of conversations highlighting Central Europe’s role in the transatlantic community.

The Atlantic Council celebrates the launch of its new Romania office with a discussion on the future of transatlantic relations.

Atlantic Council Romania brought together Romanian and Korean stakeholders for a discussion on the growing strategic connection between the Asia-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security landscapes. The event featured remarks from Prof. Ioan Mircea Pașcu, former Minister of National Defence of Romania; Prof. Adrian Curaj, former Minister of National Education and Scientific Research; Misa Popic, Vice-president of PATROMIL and General Manager Avioane Craiova; and Young-Sik Jeong, Vice-President at PION ELECTRIC. Discussions highlighted the role of strategic partnerships, industrial cooperation and technological capabilities in strengthening European security and resilience, while exploring opportunities for deeper cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Korea.

Together with our partners, friends, and representatives of the Romanian Government and Parliament, we recently celebrated three important milestones: the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, 65 years of the Atlantic Council, and one year since the opening of the Atlantic Council Romania.

A practical discussion on the evolving security dynamics in the Black Sea region, bringing together senior military leaders, security experts, and strategic affairs specialists. At a time when maritime security, the protection of critical infrastructure, and regional cooperation are becoming increasingly important for Euro-Atlantic security, Romania is strengthening its role on NATO’s Eastern Flank and as a key strategic actor in the Black Sea region.

We were delighted to host former President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, for a discussion on “The Levant: Iran and the Middle East in the Face of Global Reconfiguration.” President Constantinescu shared valuable insights on the shifting geopolitical landscape, the evolving role of regional powers, and what these changes mean for Europe, the United States, and the wider international system.

This discussion focused on how the EU is responding to geopolitical shifts, transatlantic change, and growing security and democratic pressures, featuring Traian Basescu, former president of Romania; Iulian Chifu, president of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning; Narciz Balasoiu, director of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning; Denisa Moga, independent researcher; and Alex Serban, director of Atlantic Council Romania.

This discussion explored how geopolitical disruption is reshaping transatlantic cooperation, international order, and institutional resilience, in partnership with the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, featuring Nicolae Ciucă, former prime minister of Romania; Iulian Chifu, president of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning; Cosmin Grigore, senior researcher at the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning; and Kiran Bhatti, senior researcher at the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning.

This dinner delved into how to deepen Turkey–Romania cooperation in energy, defense, and infrastructure, co-hosted with the Atlantic Council Turkey Program and featuring Özgür Kıvanç Altan, ambassador of Türkiye to Romania; Marius Poșa, state secretary at the Ministry of Energy of Romania; and István-Loránt Antal, president of the Committee for Energy, Energy Infrastructure, and Mineral Resources of the Romanian Senate.

This event discussed Iran, regional deterrence, and wider implications for Middle East security and allied strategy, featuring Kirsten Fontenrose, nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and former senior director for Gulf affairs at the US National Security Council.

This event focused on the future of the Three Seas Initiative and its role in regional connectivity, resilience, and transatlantic cooperation, in partnership with the Embassy of Croatia, featuring Romana Vlahutin, special envoy for strategic connectivity and national coordinator for the Three Seas Initiative of Croatia; and Clara Volintiru, secretary of state at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This event discussed disinformation, election interference, democratic resilience, and broader US–Europe regional security challenges, featuring Emil Hurezeanu, former minister of foreign affairs of Romania; Daniel Fried, Atlantic Council Weiser family distinguished fellow and former US ambassador to Poland; Manuela Catrina, former deputy director of the National Cyber Security Directorate; Iulian Chifu, president of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning; and Remus Ștefureac, director of INSCOP Research.

This dinner explored hybrid threats, cyber risk, and operational resilience, as part of Central Europe Week, featuring Irineu Darău, minister of economy of Romania; Marius Lazurcă, Romanian presidential adviser on foreign affairs and security policy; Luminița Odobescu, state counsellor within the Romanian prime minister’s cabinet; and Victor Negrescu, vice-president of the European Parliament.

This dinner focused on Romania’s economic outlook, investment climate, and regional competitiveness, in partnership with the National Bank of Romania, featuring Jenna Ben-Yehuda, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council; and Leonardo Badea, first deputy governor of the National Bank of Romania.

This private dinner focused on the Three Seas Initiative and its implications for connectivity, energy security, and regional resilience, featuring Ian Brzezinski, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security; and Alex Serban, director of Atlantic Council Romania.

This high-level discussion on Black Sea security, NATO’s eastern flank, and Romania’s role in regional defense featured Simona Cojocaru, defense policy director at Romania’s Ministry of National Defense; and Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council.