U.S President Joe Biden has formally accredited Romanian historian Andrei Muraru as Bucharest’s new ambassador to the U.S.
The president sent a personal letter to the diplomat whose appointment signals a new chapter in the special relations between the allies.
Strategic Partnership
Mr Muraru said he would work “tirelessly and with commitment” to strengthen the bilateral relationship enshrined in the Strategic Partnership.
The 39-year-old left his post as an adviser to President Klaus Iohannis to take up the post.
Mr Muraru is probably best known in Romania for his efforts to make communist officials accountable for crimes they committed 50 years earlier.
Holocaust
He was also one of a few figures who spoke publicly about Romania’s role in the Holocaust.
His appointment to what is the most important diplomatic post abroad is a sign that the president wants to promote Romania’s foreign policy through a younger generation with no ties to the communist era.
“I am convinced that in the years to come, we will write the history of this wonderful friendship… based on security and the prosperity pf our nations,” he wrote.
Common agenda
President Biden welcomed the Romanian ambassador. He said he wanted to „advance our common agenda and deepen the strong and abiding friendship between our countries.”
The new ambassador is the twin brother of Alexandru Muraru, a Liberal lawmaker. He is also an adviser to the prime minister on anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and the memory of communism. Both brothers are historians.
Visa waiver
Mr Muraru recently met with the secretary of the homeland security Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss the „Visa Waiver” program.
Romania has been trying for 16 years to enter the program which allows for 90-day visits for business or tourism and is seen as a facilitator for trade.
Romania’s admission to the program has been held up by the requirement that visa refusals be under three percent.
