Exclusive: Romania's Foreign Minister at the United Nations

Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu sat down with The Delegates Lounge podcast on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. From an official Romanian office overlooking the East River, she spoke candidly about Eastern European security and the calculations that went into Romania's decision making when a Russian drone recently transited their territorial airspace for around 50 minutes.

The UN General Assembly has now officially begun its 80th session. The high-level week began with a conference on recognizing Palestine, with several countries doing so for the first time. Romania, however, was among the first European countries to do so. The minister was clear on two points: Hostage release should be the first principle; and Hamas has no political future. At the same time, she said, the humanitarian emergency demands action and a horizon toward a two‑state solution.

Finally, we discussed the malaise at the United Nations, from a fiscal crisis to the search for the next secretary-general. She makes a serious case for an Eastern European secretary‑general after eight decades without one.

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Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Oana Toiu (guest) is the foreign minister of Romania. @oana_toiu of @MAERomania on X and @oana_toiu of @mfaromania on Instagram.

References:

Our podcast host, J. Alex Tarquinio, covered the United Nations high-level week for Foreign Policy. Here's a gift link to the coverage.