Ambassadors’ Lecture Series Highlights Philippines-Romania Cooperation
Ambassador Răduţa Dana Matache during her lecture at the Foreign Service Institute.
MANILA 11 December 2024 — The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) held the year’s final Ambassadors’ Lecture Series (ALS) on 05 December 2024 at Citadines Bay City Manila, Pasay with the Ambassador of Romania to the Philippines Răduţa Dana Matache, as the featured lecturer.
Entitled “How do we nurture bilateral relations? Case-study: Philippines-Romania Cooperation,” Ambassador Matache highlighted the Philippines-Romania relations and shared her thoughts on efforts in revitalizing it.
The Romanian Ambassador provided an overview of Romania — its geography, history, and membership in the European Union (EU).
On the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Romania, Ambassador Matache underscored the historical ties between the Philippines and Romania, citing the establishment of the relations between these two countries in 1972 as revolutionary, with Romania being a communist country, a part of the socialist bloc at that time, whereas the Philippines is a democratic country and a member of the free world.
Additionally, the Romanian Ambassador noted that the “Relations are good. There is willingness in Bucharest and in Manila to do whatever it takes.” She further shared that there are cooperation structures in place such as the bilateral political diplomatic dialogue at MFA level and the joint economic commission.
The lecture likewise touched on Philippine influence in Romania’s foreign service, with the assignment of Ambassador Leticia Ramos Shahani to Bucharest, the first female Ambassador in Romania, and the visible role in the Romanian government circle of a young foreign service officer, Delia Domingo-Albert, who later became Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.
Ambassador Matache closed her lecture by sharing that a bilateral relationship is like life itself — it has ups and downs. She added that a bilateral relationship is “the most important thing,” recognizing that it takes effort and resources to “prolong the upward trend” and that diplomats must avoid “downward trajectory.”
The FSI launched the ALS as a platform for heads of diplomatic missions in the Philippines to share their knowledge, priorities, and advocacy. END
Ambassador Răduţa Dana Matache and FSI Director General Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III at the event.
Ambassador Răduţa Dana Matache with FSI Carlos P. Romulo School of Diplomacy (CPRSD) Organizing Team.
Ambassador Răduţa Dana Matache, Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo, and FSI Director General Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III after the lecture.
Ambassador Răduţa Dana Matache and FSI Director General Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III with members of the diplomatic corps in attendance.