US ambassador-designate Kathleen Kavalec arrives in Romania

The designated ambassador of the United States of America in Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, arrived in Bucharest on Thursday, February 9. Later the same day, she met with Romania's minister of foreign affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, to present copies of her accreditation letters and discuss the priorities of the two countries' strategic partnership.

In the next period, Kathleen Kavalec will also have meetings with president Klaus Iohannis and prime minister Nicolae Ciuca.

During Thursday's meeting, minister Bogdan Aurescu "expressed confidence that the presence of the new American ambassador and her professional experience will contribute to the development and deepening of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership, in all its dimensions, including those regarding security, economy, energy, and the development of interpersonal relations," according to the official press release.

The two officials also discussed the priorities that must be followed in the bilateral relationship, priorities that are to be deepened during the next round of the Romania-US Strategic Dialogue, scheduled to take place in the first part of the year in Bucharest.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the Visa Waiver program were also important topics of discussion.

"The American diplomat welcomed the extraordinary efforts made by our country in support of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, respectively, in ensuring energy security - highlighting Romania's ability to position itself as an example at the regional level, including in terms of energy independence," reads the press release.

A native of California, Kathleen Kavalec previously served as the Head of Mission at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, on detail from the Department of State since 2019. Before that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, as Director of the Office of Russian Affairs and as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Mission UNESCO in Paris, France, according to The White House.

Kavalec speaks Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian.

(Photo source: Facebook/US Embassy Bucharest)