Romania joins US, EU in statement against attacks on submarine cables

According to a recent announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania endorsed the Joint Declaration on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cables in a Global Digitalized World, in coordination with the United States and European Union partners.

The diplomatic effort takes place as allies are concerned with sabotage incidents, cyberattacks, and other forms of hybrid campaigns targeting critical infrastructure. Specifically, the statement aims to align concrete actions for the protection of these vital infrastructures.

Romania joined the declaration after discussions during the bilateral meeting between minister of foreign affairs Oana Țoiu and US secretary of state Marco Rubio last week.

“As a country located on the Black Sea and a regional technological hub, Romania has a direct interest in protecting submarine cables and therefore joins its partners from the European Union and the United States of America,” the Romanian official said.

According to the ministry, the protection of critical submarine infrastructure is an international priority, especially in the context of recent incidents that exposed the vulnerabilities of such structures to potential physical and hybrid attacks.

“Romania has been an active participant in efforts to protect critical submarine infrastructure within both NATO and the European Union and will continue to contribute to strengthening the protection of submarine infrastructure in the Black Sea region, both through international organizations and through the implementation of commitments undertaken by NATO leaders at the Washington Summit. These efforts are all the more necessary as Romania aims to develop and complete several major energy projects in the near future,” the official source added.

Deep-sea cables are a vulnerable part of modern-day infrastructure. Some submarine cables transport high-voltage direct current, electrical energy, over long distances, such as between islands or countries. Cables also transmit about 95% of global data traffic, including internet searches, online shopping, and phone calls.

Fears of sabotage from the Russian “shadow fleet” have been expressed by EU and US officials since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Worldwide, there are about 500 cable lines consisting of 1.4 million kilometers of cable. The cables are so long that they could be wrapped around the equator 30 times.

(Photo source: Rodica Vasiliev |