Dinu Patriciu, founder of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and a member of the Council’s International Advisory Board, died yesterday at age sixty-four due to complications related to lymphatic cancer.

Patriciu was a key player in the Atlantic Council’s extraordinary growth and dynamism over the last seven years, having provided the crucial vision and support for the Council’s work on the Black Sea, the Caucuses, and Central Asia. He also provided the initial concept and support for what remains one of the Atlantic Council’s most successful initiatives, the annual Energy and Economic Summit in Istanbul.

“The Atlantic Council will be forever grateful for Dinu’s wisdom, ingenuity, and generosity,” said Frederick Kempe, Atlantic Council president and CEO. “He was always ahead of the curve in recognizing the Black Sea region’s geopolitical and economic importance—as well as its volatility. He inspired us to seek solutions to the historic challenges the region has faced since the Cold War and, most recently, through Russia’s threats to Ukraine, which he had predicted. We will miss his unique insights and his determination to make a difference.”

Patriciu earned his place in post-Cold War European history as a founder and architect of the National Liberal Party in Romania and a pioneer of his country’s democratic evolution in the early 1990s. He was also one of Romania’s most successful entrepreneurs, with businesses that ranged from energy and real estate to automotive technologies and supermarkets. 

Patriciu was one of Central Europe’s earliest philanthropists. Beyond his work at the Atlantic Council, his Dinu Patriciu Foundation, inspired by his passion for education, has empowered thousands of young Romanians to pursue degrees and careers that have contributed positively to Romania’s democratic development.  He was also a gifted architect and, more recently, an artist.

The Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center combines in-depth understanding of Eurasia’s history with expertise on politics, economics, and energy, to provide distinctive research and advice to governments and businesses worldwide. It seeks to promote an agenda of regional cooperation and integration based on shared values and common interest in a free, prosperous, and peaceful future.

For more information about the Eurasia Center or memorial details, please contact press@AtlanticCouncil.org.