Foreign minister says Romanian president Nicușor Dan likely to visit US in early 2026

Romania's foreign minister Oana Țoiu said on Sunday, August 17, that president Nicușor Dan is expected to visit the United States and meet with president Donald Trump in the first quarter of 2026. Speaking on TVR Info, Țoiu said preparations for the visit are already underway, with her upcoming trip to Chicago on September 20 focused in part on laying the groundwork for the meeting, Agerpres reported.

"We will announce the calendar at the right time, but I can clarify the agenda. There are three main objectives: our participation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, meetings with Romanian communities in New York and Chicago, and the preparation of the upcoming visit between president Nicușor Dan and president Donald Trump. Most likely, this will take place in the first quarter of 2026," Țoiu said.

Nicușor Dan had a phone conversation with Donald Trump at the end of May, when the American leader reportedly invited the Romanian president to Washington. Dan, in turn, invited Trump to Romania.

Minister Oana Țoiu also addressed Romania's ongoing efforts to join the US Visa Waiver Program, stressing that progress has been made, though no timeline has been set.

"At this time, the Visa Waiver program is extremely important for us. We still have to rebuild some bridges, but we are in a much better place than a few months ago," she said, quoted by Agerpres.

"Romania must enter the Visa Waiver program. It cannot be acceptable in the medium and long term for a Schengen country not to be in the Visa Waiver. And it's not only in Romania's interest. The Visa Waiver also generates an increase in tourism, which is in the interest of the United States. […] Institutionally, we are working across all levels, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Chancellery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Embassy. It is also very much on the president's agenda," she added.

In May 2025, the United States Department of Homeland Security announced that it had rescinded Romania's Visa Waiver Program designation "to protect the integrity of the Visa Waiver Program and ensure border and immigration security."