Romanian President Klaus Iohannis says he has used his 10-day visit to Africa—the first by a Romanian leader in 30 years—to put the former communist state “back on the African radar.”
The Romanian leader acknowledged that it has been decades since his country first understood the “special value” of its economic ties with African states.
“We realized that this was a strategic error in the Romanian foreign policy, and we came up with corrective measures. We came up with a new strategy for Africa, which specifically targets Romania’s traditional partners on the continent.
“I think the Romanians appreciate it because many know the relationships we had, and I believe that many realize the enormous potential represented by a good relationship between Romania and African states, between the European Union and Africa.”
Ondo Ze, political science lecturer and researcher at the Omar Bongo University in Gabon and a member of the Centre of Studies and Research on Geosciences Politics and Prospective, sees African countries and Romania as inseparable bedfellows with a common history and challenge: They transitioned from totalitarianism to democracy and capitalism in the 1990s.
“Today, it seems that the pattern is repeating itself,” he told The Epoch Times.
“Romania, which joined the European Union and NATO, is now seeking to assert itself by taking advantage of the growing [rift] between African states and the West.
“Likewise, Romania wants to be a friendly [ally] in the face of Russia, which is presented as the great bad wolf.”
However, Mr. Ondo noted that the Eastern European country harbors no ambitions to compete with any foreign power.
“Romania is simply capitalizing on the growing tension between the West and Russia,” he said.
“It is taking advantage of this [rift] to [launch] its own diplomacy while also reviving its past cooperation with Africa. Romania wants to establish herself as a historic partner of African states, capable of understanding and assisting them.”
While in Senegal, from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, he met with former students from Senegal who had studied in Romania, attended the inauguration of the U.N. House in Senegal, and visited Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and former hub of the slave trade.
“The sad, inhuman, and immoral history that this place had must inspire us to get involved, politicians to learn from this sad past to build a much better future for people,” Mr. Iohannis declared at the end of the visit.
The visit to Senegal was preceded by the one to the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde—an island state off of West Africa.
The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves—known for his reformist approach and a humble beginning similar to Mr. Iohannis—extended an air of familiarity to his guest and expressed his admiration for Romania, a sentiment rooted in his personal connection with the country, as his son’s mother studied law in Bucharest, Romania.
Mr. Neves also made known his readiness to fortify relationships with Eastern European nations, including Romania.
He also explored Cidade Velha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, engaging with the mayor and the president of the Cultural Heritage Institute.
The visit concluded with a grand state dinner, solidifying diplomatic ties between Romania and Cape Verde.
The Romanian president’s visit to Kenya and Tanzania was marked by the signing of six memorandums of understanding.
The first focuses on promoting cooperation in the areas of disaster management and international humanitarian assistance, and the second is to promote economic, technological, and scientific cooperation in the fields of agriculture and environment.
However, Hildebrand Shayo, economist and investment banking analyst in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, noted that the Romanian leader’s visit was nothing out of the ordinary.
“The only people who might have interest in such a visit are those into business or those in the goods and service supply sector, who might grab business opportunities from Romanian companies,” he told The Epoch Times.
“On the street, people hardly talk about the benefit of such a head of state visit.”
Romania is out to court new partners with whom it can do business, according to Mr. Shayo.
“Currently, many nations that didn’t have the then-colonial ties are trying to close up partnerships aimed at enabling their businesses back home to enter new markets,” he said.
“How successful this can be will depend on a number of things including costs related to what is on the table. Tanzanian businesses will always have to compare where they get a good deal when sourcing the goods and services.”
Mr. Ondo agrees, and he thinks that Romania “has more to take than to give.”
“The [African] continent still remains a breeding ground for raw materials and a market in full development with the demographic surge it has experienced since the last century,” he told The Epoch Times.
“It is up to African states to establish themselves as [credible partners] and not as weak actors or victims.”
During his tour, Mr. Iohannis decorated the presidents of every African country that he visited with the “Star of Romania” National Order for the contribution made to the development of friendship and collaboration ties.
The four-nation Africa tour, according to Mr. Iohannis’s administration, was thus aimed at “relaunching the high-level political dialogue” with the mentioned states but also “revitalizing economic and sectoral relations,” aiming to open and capitalize on new opportunities for collaboration.
However, Mr. Shayo said Romania will find it “challenging” to break through African territories.
“Three decades is challenging [because] what leaders might have in mind is not what the young generation of people born in between [want],” he said.
“I only see specific areas [where Romania can succeed], unlike [how] China [controls] everything in Africa.”
Colman Msoka, senior lecturer in development studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said Romania is seeking to consolidate its “soft power” and “presence” in Africa.
He said the generational gap between the old leaders and the new ones—both in Africa and Romania—undeniably calls for the renewal of these ties, which will bring more opportunities.
“If not done, new liberalism may mean forgetting the past ties,” Mr. Msoka said. “Many young [Africans] think of the East as communism that failed and nothing to learn [from]. This is wrong. There are still areas of cooperation.”
The visit comes at an opportune moment for Tanzania, which is determined to restore bilateral ties with international partners.
“Tanzania is currently asserting itself globally, and the rhetoric is that we need to engage,” Mr. Msoka said.
“The visit was seen from that angle. Our foreign policy is economic diplomacy and hence high-level visits mean opening opportunities for close engagement.”
A week before Mr. Iohannis embarked on the Africa tour, his administration spoke on Russia’s war on Ukraine, including its effects on the food security of African states.
“I also presented Romania’s contribution to facilitating grain exports from Ukraine—to ensure global food security,” his administration stated.
“Romania took substantial measures and invested in infrastructure to be able to ensure, since the beginning of the war, the transit of over 30 million [metric tons] of grain from Ukraine to global markets, including Africa, and we will continue with increased capacity.”
