Klaus Iohannis, awarded in the USA

President Klaus Iohannis is in the USA, where he is to be handed over tomorrow, May 9, around 2:00 a.m. - Romanian time, the Distinguished International Leadership Award for 2024, at the Atlantic Council gala. Annually, the Atlantic Council awards a limited number of personalities who embody the essence of the transatlantic relationship and who have contributed to its consolidation, in all its dimensions (political, economic, security and defense, art, humanitarian activities, etc.). The Atlantic Council, a prestigious American organization of the "think tank" type, founded in 1961, with a rich activity in the field of international affairs, decided that for the year 2024, it will award this award to the President of Romania, as a recognition of his career and role his role as a transatlantic and European leader, according to a press release issued by the Presidential Administration.

Klaus Iohannis is the first Eastern European head of state honored with this distinction, in the 24 years since the award was established. Among the personalities who have been awarded The Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards over time are the presidents of the United States of America, George Bush, William (Bill) Clinton, the vice-president Joe Biden - the current president of the USA, the presidents of the European Commission - Ursula von der Leyen and Jose Manuel Barroso, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Before the ceremony from Wednesday to Thursday night, President Klaus Iohannis was supposed to have a meeting with his American counterpart Joe Biden last night, the meeting being scheduled after the closing of the edition of the BURSA newspaper. According to a press release issued by the White House, the two heads of state were to discuss priority topics of the international and bilateral agenda. A special place in the exchange of opinions between the two heads of state would have been the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea basin, as well as the strengthening of security in the Euro-Atlantic space. The high-level dialogue will be a good opportunity to raise the profile of the Strategic Partnership with the United States and reconfirm the privileged bilateral relations between the two states and multi-sectoral cooperation. The quoted source also shows that President Biden will talk with Klaus Iohannis about the American military stationed in our country and that the two leaders will review the many areas in which Romania and the United States work together, including energy, economic cooperation and shared democratic values.

Tomorrow, May 9, at around 18:30 - Romanian time, President Klaus Iohannis would also have a meeting with Mike Johnson, the president of the House of Representatives in the US Congress.