The favorite for the Ministry of Defense: Romania's ambassador to NATO, who has been working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 24 years
Dan Neculăescu is proposed by Prime Minister-designate Eugen Tomac for the position of Minister of Defense, according to HotNews political sources. His name is not that well known to the general public. However, Neculescu is a career diplomat and currently Romania's ambassador to NATO.
Dan Neculăescu, 51, was appointed Romania's permanent representative to NATO in February 2022 by then-president Klaus Iohannis and has remained in the position until now.
What is his role as ambassador to NATO? Practically, each member country of the North Atlantic Alliance appoints a representative to support the position of his country in Brussels, where NATO's headquarters are located. Also, the ambassador represents the state in the North Atlantic Council – the main political body where NATO decisions are made. The ambassador, also called a permanent representative, acts on the basis of the instructions received from Bucharest and reports back to the national authorities.
The ambassador leads the delegation and enjoys, like all other members of the delegation, immunities and privileges:
- Immunity from arrest or detention
- Immunity in respect of “words spoken or written or acts performed in an official capacity”
What did he do before the ambassador arrived at NATO
Before taking over the position at NATO, Neculăescu was secretary of state for strategic affairs, a career diplomat. He started working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 2002, according to a presentation on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his diplomatic career he worked both in the Headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest and in the foreign diplomatic service.
In the period 2017-2019, he held the position of Secretary of State for relations with the Eastern neighborhood and multilateral relations at the global level. From April 2017 to July of the same year, he was the State Counselor for Foreign Affairs of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu.
Previously, from June 2016 until April 2017, he held the position of State Secretary for Strategic Affairs and, subsequently, for Regional Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He contributed to the deepening of the strategic dialogue with the USA, including by participating in the consultations during the 5th meeting of the Task Force for the implementation of the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership.
Among the main mandate lines was the consolidation of the bilateral strategic partnership for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova.
From the Atomic Energy Agency to the preparation of NATO summits
Between August 2015 and June 2016, he held the position of general director for strategic affairs, and between October 2011 – January 2013, respectively November 2013 – August 2015, he held the position of director for security policies.
From these positions, he contributed to the preparation of the NATO Summits in the USA (Chicago – 2012), Great Britain (New Port – 2014), as well as to the development of Romania's strategic partnerships on the security dimension with the USA, Poland and Turkey, according to the NATO website.
Between May 2009 and September 2011, he was the deputy of the permanent representative of Romania to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), based in Vienna, and to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO).
Previously, from March 2004 to December 2006, he served as head of office and later director of the OSCE, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Directorate within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Between 2002 and 2004, he was an advisor to the Minister's Cabinet and secretary III, later secretary II, within the Political Analysis and Planning Directorate, respectively the NATO Directorate within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What education does he have?
He is a graduate of the Faculty of Political and Administrative Sciences of the University of Bucharest and of the Faculty of Law of the Nicolae Titulescu University, Bucharest.
He graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002), the British Diplomatic Academy (2002) and the NATO College in Rome (2003).
