The partnership with the United States is stronger when we invest in the bright minds of our young people, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, who, alongside the United States Ambassador to Bucharest, Darryl Nirenberg, co-chaired on Thursday the extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors of the Romanian-American Fulbright Commission.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, the meeting marked a new chapter in the bilateral relationship, one that places emphasis on investment in students, researchers and professionals as a central pillar of the Strategic Partnership.

With a history of over 60 years in Romania and more than 3,800 alumni, the programme will focus in the coming period on strategic areas such as cybersecurity, data-driven public policy and technological innovation.

'Our partnership with the United States is stronger when we invest in the bright minds of our young people, and exchange programmes are not merely academic opportunities, but a critical infrastructure of our democracy and an investment in the future of the relationship between our two countries. Each scholarship has a multiplier effect in our societies. When a FLEX pupil or a Fulbright researcher returns home, they bring not only knowledge, but also a new mindset that transforms entire communities. It is also essential that our fellows understand the diversity and regional differences within the United States, just as American partners are encouraged to explore the innovative potential across all regions of Romania, in order to understand the real complexity of countries beyond their capital cities,' said Minister Oana Toiu.

The minister also underlined the need to build bridges between the various exchange programmes developed between the two countries, to create a continuous learning pathway that accompanies future leaders from an early age through to the stage of experienced researchers.

The US Ambassador highlighted the importance of the Fulbright Programme for bilateral cooperation, including from the perspective of sustained investment in people and education, as well as the links between students, researchers and professors from both countries, contributing to strengthening mutual understanding and the Strategic Partnership, the MAE press release notes.

Oana Toiu also pointed out that there are already tangible results following bilateral meetings in recent months, including discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Cooperation with the United States in education, research and other types of visits has materialised in the recent approval of the Romania-US Exchange Programme under MECEA (Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act), which will facilitate, starting this autumn, visits by US Congress officials to strengthen direct dialogue, as well as the relaunch of the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Programme) for high schoolers, the press release adds.

In addition to the United States Ambassador to Bucharest, Darryl Nirenberg, and his team, the extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors of the Romanian-American Fulbright Commission was also attended on the Romanian side by Clara-Alexandra Volintiru, PhD - Secretary of State, Ligia Deca - Chair of the Board of Directors, Alina Bargaoanu - Dean (Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, SNSPA), Madlen Serban - Associate Professor, University of Bucharest, and Professor Mircea Dumitru - Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)