Bucharest, July 2 /Agerpres/ - The United States remains committed to improving the rule of law in Romania, ensuring Romania's sovereignty and security, and creating the opportunity for all Romanians to prosper, the US Ambassador to Romania, Adrian Zuckerman, said on Thursday at the Independence Day reception.

"We have a Strategic Partnership committed to security, democracy, and mutual economic prosperity. Today our relationship is stronger than ever. The United States remains committed to improving the rule of law in Romania, ensuring Romania's sovereignty and security, and creating the opportunity for all Romanians to prosper. This is the time for Romanians who emigrated to come home and build a better future for all," the diplomat told the event attended by President
Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban.

He mentioned the Romania-US collaboration in the military, energy, and also recently, in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are committed to supporting Romania's economic recovery and ensuring economic security. We have joined forces to combat corruption and finish the work started by Romanian patriots who overthrew communism 30 years ago. The United States is committed to using all of its law enforcement resources to support the rule of law and end the scourge of corruption and trafficking in persons," Zuckerman pointed out.

At the same time, the American diplomat called for "vigilance".

''We must also remain vigilant as our adversaries seek to take advantage of the current situation to undermine our freedoms while they obfuscate their own pernicious and malignant conduct. Efforts to pervert free markets, democratic societies, and peddle untrustworthy technology must not be tolerated. Malign influence intended to destabilize and keep Romania from reaching its true economic potential must be rejected,'' he pointed out.

In his speech, Zuckerman recalled that he was born in Romania and that his parents emigrated during communism.

"I stand humbled before you an example of the greatness of America - a country where the son of two immigrants, who had the courage to sacrifice everything for freedom, had the opportunity to return as the Ambassador of the United States," he said.

In the end, the ambassador called for courage and defending democracy.

"I ask all of you listening tonight to be courageous; to protect freedom and democracy; to ensure the flame of liberty shines in Romania and around the world, and I ask you all to believe in yourselves and a better Romania. I ask you all to perform great deeds! I have said it many times before: the people of Romania have no better friend than the United States. And the United States has no better friend than Romania," said the US ambassador in Bucharest. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author/editor: Bogdan Gabaroi)