Romanian president to participate in UN General Assembly in New York

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is set to participate in the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he will present Romania’s foreign policy priorities, its contribution to the UN agenda objectives, and the assessments on current global issues.

The central theme of this current session of the General Assembly is "Rebuilding Trust and Resilience: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals for Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability for All," as conveyed by the presidential administration. During the Assembly meeting, the president will present Romania's analysis of the "accumulation of multifaceted crises facing the international community globally, with negative effects on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, as well as ways to manage them efficiently.”

The visit will take place from September 18 to September 22. During this time, the Romanian head of state will also speak at Columbia University about the Romanian perspective on the Ukraine conflict. He will be an honorary guest at a debate organized by the university as part of the World Leaders Forum, with the theme "Romania's Perspective on the War Against Ukraine and its Impact on Black Sea Security."

The program will also include participation in the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, during which the president will deliver a national statement in the Leaders' Dialogue with the theme "Unity and Solidarity: Strengthening the Multilateral System for Consolidated Support, Cooperation, Follow-up, and Review."

President Iohannis will also have a series of bilateral meetings and will take part in formal events included in the program for each high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. During the meetings with counterparts from other UN member states, he will reiterate Romania’s support for “effective multilateralism, respect for international law, and a rules-based international order,” according to the press release from the Romanian Presidency.

Throughout the speeches and meetings organized during the visit to the US, the Romanian head of state will present Romania’s substantive contribution to promoting democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law, as well as the active role played in UN activities across the three main pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights, as specified by the Presidential Administration.

As the Romanian state does not possess its own aircraft destined for the prime minister or the president, Klaus Iohannis once again used a private plane for his trip to New York. The president has faced harsh criticism for chartering luxury planes for his trips in the past. According to the aviation-focused website BoardingPass cited by