Protecting Europe in Turbulent Times
Bucharest Leaders Summit: Enduring Power of Solidarity
Speakers 16 May 2022

Official Opening

* Confirmed speakers that already provided a photo

Nicolae-Ionel CIUCĂ
Prime Minister of Romania

Mircea Geoană
Deputy Secretary
General of NATO

Gen.
Daniel Petrescu
Chief of
Defense Staff

General Daniel PETRESCU

Gen. Daniel Petrescu was appointed Chief of Defence Staff in December 2019.

Between August 2017 and August 2019, he assumed the command of the Headquarters Multinational Division South-East, and from August to December 2019, he was Deputy Chief of Defence Staff.
His professional experience includes prior appointments at tactical, operational and strategic level within the Romanian Armed Forces, NATO Headquarters, and in different theatres of operations.
At the tactical level, he commanded the 2nd Infantry Battalion ”Călugareni” in Bucharest, between January 2004 and October 2008. He commanded 2nd Infantry Brigade ”Rovine” from August 2016 until August 2017, which has later became Multinational Brigade South-East.
At the operational level he was Chief of Staff of the Operational Command Centre (2010-2013), the ROU HQ in charge with directing all ROU Forces participation in NATO and coalition operations.
His experience at strategic level includes appointments in the ROU General Staff - Strategic Planning Directorate (Head, Force Planning Office for Missions Abroad, 2008-2010), and Operations Directorate (Head, Current Operations, 2010). From June 2013 to July 2016, he represented ROU CHOD as a National Liaison Representative to the HQ Supreme Allied Command Transformation, in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

He was deployed with the 2nd Infantry Battalion in several NATO, UN and Coalition Operations, participating in all the theatres of operations where the Romanian Army has sent troops so far:
NATO stability operations: ISAF, Afghanistan (July 2006-January 2007), Battalion commander and national contingent commander; KFOR, Kosovo (October 2003), and SFOR, Bosnia and Herzegovina (October 2004), Battalion Commander, NATO Strategic Reserve Forces; ALBA Operation, Albania (May-July 1997), Battalion Liaison Officer;
Coalition operations: ANTICA BABILONIA, IRAQ (January-August 2005), Battalion Commander;
UN Peace Support Operations: MONUA, Angola (December 1998-July 1999), and UNAVEM III, Angola (August 1995-April 1996), Liaison Officer to the UN Force HQ.
Gen. Daniel Petrescu is a top class graduate of both the Romanian Military Institute for Infantry (class of 1992), and National Defence University (class of 2003), as well as a Distinguished Graduate of the US National War College/National Defence University, Washington DC, where he completed a Master of Science in National Security Strategy (2010-2011).
His military education includes a PhD in military science and information (2010, National Defence University, Bucharest). He is also a graduate of the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC, Advanced Command and Staff Course, 2007-2008). He completed the Master of Arts Program in National Security Studies at the Kings College London.
He also attended shorter courses in some prestigious European institutions such as the European Security and Defence College, Brussels, Belgium (ESDP Course on the EU strategic planning for missions and operations) and Furungsacademy der Bundeswehr, Hamburg, Germany (UNSOC - United Nations Staff Officers Course).

His awards include: the National Order "Credential Service in Knight Rank, with Military Sign”, the National Order "Credential Service in Officer Rank, with Military Sign”, the National Medal "For Merit, 2nd Grade”, the Romanian “Military Command Virtue, Commodore Rank with War Signs”, the “US Army Commendation” Medal, the “NATO non-article 5” Medal and the UN Medal - “In the Service of Peace”.

He was born on January 26th, 1971, in Pitești, Argeș County. He and his wife, Adina, have been married for over twenty years, and they have two children.

Cosmin-Ştefan Marinescu
Presidential Adviser -
Department of Economic and Social Policy

Cosmin-Ştefan Marinescu

Presidential Adviser - Department of Economic and Social Policies
Cosmin Marinescu (born 1976) is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE). He is a professor at the Department of Economics and Economic Policies. Cosmin Marinescu has been teaching since 1998 and holds a PhD in economics (2003).
He has founded the first Romanian university course of study on Institutional Economics regarding the role of the institutions in economic development. He gained a postdoctoral scholarship (2011-2012) within the contest run by the National Institute of Economic Research “Costin C. Kirițescu” of the Academy of Romania. Furthermore, he won scientific contests as a project director, on topics regarding the institutions of the market economy, economic freedom and the institutional quality of the business environment.
His research activity also materialised in various research opportunities abroad: Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne (June 2012), ESCP Europe Business School (June 2010), Middlesex University and London School of Economics (April 2008), Institut d’Administration des Entreprises, Lille (June 2002), Maison des Sciences Economiques (October 2001). As a founder president, he established the Center for Economics and Liberty – ECOL, an educational and research initiative, that aims to promote a better understanding of the principles behind a free economy and a democratic society.
He published several books as a coordinator, author and coauthor, including Education: An Economic Perspective (2001), Liberalisation of Foreign Economic Exchanges (2003), Institutions and Prosperity. From Ethics to Efficiency (2004), Market Economy (2007), Economic Freedom and Property (2011), Transaction Costs and Economic Perfomace (2013). He coordinated the volume Capitalism. The Logic of Liberty (Humanitas, 2013) appreciated by prestigious economists in the international academic field. The Romanian Association of Economic Faculties awarded Cosmin Marinescu in 2008.
He was vice-president of the Specialised Commission for Budget and Finances of the National Liberal Party (2013-2014) and contributed to the development of governing policies and programmes. He worked at the Ministry of Economy (2012) and at the Ministry of Public Finance (2013) as adviser to the minister and to the deputy prime minister on economic policy and fiscal-budgetary matters. Between June and December 2014, Cosmin Marinescu was the economic adviser to the President of the National Liberal Party, Klaus Iohannis.
Cosmin Marinescu was appointed Presidential Adviser on 22 December 201

Assoc. Prof.
Diana-Loreta Păun
MD
Presidential Adviser - Department of Public Health

Janusz Wojciechowski
European Commissioner for Agriculture

Janez Lenarčič
European Commissioner for Crisis Management

Olivér Várhelyi
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

Virginijus Sinkevičius
European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

His Excellency
Dr. Peer Gebauer
Ambassador of Germany to Romania

Alfredo Durante Mangoni
Ambassador of
Italy to Romania

Alfredo Durante Mangoni, born in Naples in 1965, in 1987 majored in Political Science (BA in International Politics) at the University of Naples Federico II summa cum laude, with a dissertation in EC Law on State aids and regional policy.
He joined the Italian foreign service in 1991. At the Ministry he was assigned to cover matters linked to multilateral development cooperation and European economic affairs. In 1995 he became first secretary at the Embassy in Moscow. From 1999 to 2002 he was consul general in Benghazi, the youngest among the Italian diplomatic network.
Back in Rome, he deals again with EU issues, notably as Head of Justice and Home Affairs Directorate. From 2006 to 2008 he is diplomatic advisor to the Labor and Welfare Minister. From 2008 to 2012 he is posted at the Embassy in Tokyo as Minister and Deputy Head of Mission. During this assignment he follows the integrated promotional exhibitions Italia in Giappone. In 2012 he authored a study on the Japanese Yakuza for the Italian review Gnosis.
Then at the Foreign Ministry he becomes Deputy Asia director.
From May 2013 to June 2016 he is diplomatic advisor to the Justice Minister. In this period, he nurtures a remarkable experience on international legal issues and on the nexus between justice and economy. He is appointed minister plenipotentiary.
Since June 2016 he is Coordinator for Anticorruption at the Italian Foreign Ministry, dealing with the main multilateral fora on anticorruption, integrity and compliance as part of the global agenda (UNCAC, OECD, GRECO CoE; G20 and G7). In this capacity, he chairs the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group. Besides, he develops an innovative National Coordination Mechanism on multilateral anticorruption policies which also fosters dialogue and cooperation with the civil society and the private sector. The Tavolo inter-istituzionale di Coordinamento anticorruzione has been acknowledged as a best practice in the UNCAC Second cycle review Report on Italy (2019).
One of his favourite projects is the Italian Business Integrity Days, launched in 2017 on the International Anticorruption Day, to allow major Italian companies to present their compliance programs abroad. He is also partnering with the civil society in the framework of the Milan-based Fondazione Premio Giorgio Ambrosoli, as well as with Transparency International Italia.
In 2019 he edited the book La diplomazia giuridica, with Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, preface by Paola Severino.
Contributor to reviews on legal affairs and lecturer in these matters at Italian Universities, High School of the Judiciary, specialized Masters.
Since July 15, 2021 he is the Ambassador of Italy to Romania.
He has been awarded as Ufficiale OMRI (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana).
Alumnus of the Consiglio Italia-Stati Uniti, Young Leaders’ Conference Ann Arbor Michigan (2005).
Married with Eleonora Mancini, they have two children.

Marian Jean Marinescu
Member of the European Parliament

Cristian Buşoi
Member of the European Parliament

Dragoș Pîslaru
Member of the European Parliament

Iuliu Winkler
Member of the European Parliament

Nicoleta Pauliuc
Chair of the
Senate Committee
for Defence, Public
Order and
National Security

Anca Dana Dragu
Chair of the
Senate Committee
for Human Rights, Equal Opportunities, Cults and Minorities

Lóránt Antal
Chair of the
Senate Committee for Energy, Energy Infrastructure and Mineral Resources

Nelu Tătaru
MD
President of the Committee for Health and Family of The Chamber of Deputies

László Borbély
State Advisor, Coordinator of the Department for Sustainable Development

László BORBÉLY - State Counselor, Coordinator of the Department for Sustainable Development

László BORBÉLY is a politician who has significantly contributed to the democratic development of Romanian society, both as one of the most well-known leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania and through the different high ranking functions held in the Romanian Parliament and the Romanian Government in the field of International Affairs, Environment and Sustainable Development, Regional Development and Infrastructure, which he has fulfilled with a rigorous professionalism yielding important results. An outstanding political performance underpinned with a solid – two-decade long – support for cultural life in the city of Tîrgu Mures, in an attempt to bring reconciliation to its multi-ethnic community.

WORK EXPERIENCE
◦ 2017 - present: State Counsellor of the Prime Minister of Romania on the topic of Sustainable Development
◦ 2014-2016 Vice president of the Steering Committee of the Romanian Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union
◦ 2015-2016 Vice president of the 12+ Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
◦ 2008-2009/ 2012-2016 Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament
◦ February – April 2012: Vice-president of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
◦ May 2011 – April 2012: Co-chair of the European Ministerial Board for Environment and Health
◦ November 2010 – April 2012: Member of the European Ministerial Board for Environment and Health
◦ May 2010 – May 2011: Chairman of CSD 19 (Commission of the United Nations on Sustainable Development)
◦ January 2010 - April 2012: Minister, Romanian Ministry of Environment and Forests
◦ April 2007– December 2008: Minister, Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing
◦ December 2004 – April 2007: Minister-Delegate, Romanian Ministry of Transportation, Constructions and Tourism
◦ 1990-1996/ 2000-2016: Member of the Romanian Parliament, Chamber of Deputies
◦ 1996–2000: State Secretary, Romanian Ministry of Public Works and Regional Planning.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
• 2011: PhD title in economics awarded by the „Babes Bolyai University”, Cluj-Napoca for the thesis „Regional development models in Romania and the European Union”
• 1983–1984: Post Graduate Studies – Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest
• 1973–1977: Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Timișoara

His Grace
Varlaam Ploiesteanul
Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch

Adrian Câciu
Minister of Finance

Vasile Dîncu
Minister of National Defence

Sebastian Burduja
Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization

Florin Spataru
Minister of Economy

Virgil-Daniel Popescu
Minister of Energy

Adrian Chesnoiu
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

Prof.
Alexandru Rafila
MD, PhD
Minister of Health

Prof.
Sorin Cîmpeanu
PhD
Minister of Education

Lucian Romașcanu Minister of Culture

Ambassador
Sorin Ducaru
Director of SatCen
( European Union Satellite Centre )

Rear Adm.
Mihai Panait
Chief of Staff
of the Romanian
Naval Forces

CHIEF OF THE ROMANIAN NAVAL FORCES
Rear Admiral (UH)
Mihai PANAIT

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Mihai PANAIT, a native of Titesti, Arges, was born on 27th of March 1968.

Commissioned in 1991 as a lieutenant junior grade, his first assignments onboard ships were as minesweeper operations department head and later on as executive officer.

At squadron and brigade level, he served as operations officer, followed by the same position at brigade level. Upon National Defence University graduation, he was appointed commanding officer of minelayer “IOAN MURGESCU” (271), chief of staff and deputy commanding officer of MCM squadron.

From 2009 to 2013 he commanded “REGELE FERDINAND” (221) frigate while being deployed in various NATO and EU operations such as Active Endeavour (2010), Unified Protector (2011) and Atalanta (2012).

Additionally, Rear Admiral (UH) PANAIT was a Romanian Task Group commander during its first activation in 2013 and also in 2014 and 2016.

As a staff officer, he performed duties as head of EOD and Force Protection operations office to Naval Operational Component Command and deputy chief of staff for training to Fleet Command.

His first assignment as flag officer was as chief of staff of the Fleet Command and subsequently, he was promoted on December 01st 2017 to the rank of Rear Admiral (LH). On August, 1st 2019 he was assigned as Fleet Commander and on 1st December promoted to Rear Admiral (UH).

On July 1st, 2020, he was appointed as the Chief of the Romanian Naval Forces.

From January 1st 2018 he was acting Deputy Chief of the Romanian Naval Forces for Operations and Training, being appointed from June 15th 2018.

On August 1st 2019 he was promoted as Fleet Commander.

A surface warfare officer by trade, he graduated from the “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Institute in 1991. His post graduation education includes Command Team Training Programme in Den Helder, NLD (2005), Naval Command College in Newport, Rhode Island, USA (2009), Joint Strategic Leadership Course in National Defence University “Carol I”, Bucharest (2014), Combined Force Maritime Component Commanders Flag Course in Naples, Italy (2017). He also graduated several career courses in Romania or abroad in the area of staff duties, units and brigade level command, security and good governance.

Rear Admiral (UH) PANAIT is a veteran of theatre of operations and has received during his career various national and international awards and titles, among them “Emblem of Honour” from General Staff (2007); “Maritime Virtue” Order – Captain and Knight (2011); “Participant in International Missions”, Operation Unified Protector (2011); the Officer of the year 2011 from Romanian Navy; the Officer of the year 2012 from Romanian General Staff; “Emblem of Honour” from Naval Forces (2012); “The Common Security and Defence Policy Service” E.U. medal (2012); “Emblem of Honour” from Air Forces (2018); “Emblem of Honour” from Land Forces (2019).

Maj. Gen.
Iulian Berdilă
Chief of Staff
of the
Romanian Land Forces

Major General Iulian BERDILĂ

MG Iulian BERDILĂ was appointed Chief of the Romanian Land Forces Staff on the 26th of March 2020. A native of Galați, Galați County, he graduated from the Field Artillery Officers School, Sibiu in 1992. His first assignment was as multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) platoon leader at the 16th Artillery Regiment. One year later, he joins the 2nd Infantry Battalion “Calugareni” as antitank platoon leader, fires support officer and then antitank battery commander.
During his service, he fulfilled several joint and multinational staff assignments, as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the 2nd Infantry Division, G-5 for the Land Component Command, Aide-de-Camp for the Chief of the Romanian General Staff and NATO integration planner for the Romanian Land Forces. His operational experience includes deployments in Multi-National Force Iraq as Coalition operations planner in 2006 and in ISAF Afghanistan, as Battalion Commander with 1st Mechanized Brigade in Zabul Province in 2011. His previous command assignments include Commander of Headquarters Multinational Division South-East (2019-2020), Head of Strategic Planning Directorate (2017-2019), Commander of 81st Mechanized Brigade "General Grigore Bălan" (2015-2017), Commander of 2nd Infantry Battalion "Călugăreni" (2010-2012). MG BERDILĂ holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) from the Romanian Land Forces Academy, a Master of Military Arts and Science (MMAS) degree in Theater Operations from the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies since 2005. He also earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the US Army War College in 2014. He attended several career courses to include the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, USA in 2004, the US Army Field Artillery Captain’s Career Course in 2000 and the US Army Officer Basic Course in 1996, both in Fort Sill, USA.
His national awards and decorations include the Romanian Military Command Virtue in Knight Rank, the Honor of Romanian Army (war signs) Emblem, the Honor of Romanian Army (in peacetime) Emblem, the In Service of Peace Merit Emblem and the Land Forces Emblem of Honor. His allied and multinational awards and decorations are the NATO Non-Article V Medal, the US Bronze Star and the US Army Commendation Medal.
As a sign of appreciation of the important results obtained in fulfilling the missions and for the contribution to the image of the Romanian Army, the President of Romania conferred on him, on the occasion of the National Day of Romania-2020, the National Order "For Merit" in the rank of "Knight" (military badge). Major General Iulian Berdilă is married and has one son.

Lt. Gen.
Viorel Pană
Chief of the
Romanian Air Force
Staff

Lt. Gen. Eng.
Ionel-Sorin Bălan
Director of the Special Telecommunications Service (STS)

Brigadier General
Alin-Ionel Mastan
Inspector General of the Romanian Gendarmerie

Andrei Baciu
State Secretary
Ministry of Health

Cosmin Dumitrescu,
PhD
Consul General of
Romania in
Los Angeles

Cosmin Dumitrescu – career diplomat - Consul General – head of the consular office of
Romania in Los Angeles

Cosmin Dumitrescu is a career diplomat and the Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles. He has been appointed in the position since the end of March, 2017. The main priority of his mission as the senior diplomat of Romania on the West Coast of the United States of America is the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States of America. A special focus of his activity as the Consul General of Romania is to enhance the level of bilateral cooperation in the framework of the economic and academic dimensions of the Strategic Partnership. His consular territorial competence include the states of Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington.
As a result of excellence in his diplomatic and consular activity Hon. Cosmin Dumitrescu was elected in 2019 Chairman of the Committee of the European Union Member States Consuls General in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the Committee of the E.U. Consuls General in Los Angeles significantly enhanced the level of transatlantic cooperation not only in politics, economic and cultural fields in 2019, but also by finding the best solutions for saving lives and overcoming unparalleled difficulties in the first period of the COVID19 pandemic.
Cosmin Dumitrescu has been included in Marquis Who's Who in America in 2021 for excellence in international diplomacy, As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, Mr. Dumitrescu’s profile has been selected on the basis of current reference values such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in the field of diplomacy.
Hon. Cosmin Dumitrescu has recently been honored by Marquis Who’s Who in America with the Distinguished Worldwide Humanitarian Award for his valuable contribution to rescuing and providing relief to endangered people blocked on the cruise ship on the Pacific during the first months of the COVID10 pandemic.
Prior to heading the L.A. Romanian consular team as Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, Dumitrescu served as Consul General and head of the consular office of Romania in Trieste – Italy (2012-2017), Consul General and head of the consular office of Romania in Castellon de la Plana – Spain (2011-2012), Head of the National Center of Diplomatic and Service Passports Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Romania (2010-2011), Head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Romania in Rome – Italy (2004-2009), and diplomat in the Romanian M.F.A. – Bucharest (2003-2004).
Between 2009 and 2011 Consul General Cosmin Dumitrescu represented Romania in the E.U. workgroups for national experts of Council of E.U., VISA WP- Bruxelles, in the VISA Committee of the European Commission as a national expert - EU Visa Code implementation ruling and monitoring – Bruxelles, as associate professor for consular specialization to the consular, diplomatic and administrative members of M.F.A. personnel and at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, and was the representative of the Consular Department in the M.F.A. workgroup for monitoring and assistance of Romanian citizens victims of piracy.
Cosmin Dumitrescu is a law school and foreign languages and literatures graduate and holds a PhD in Management (Disaster and Emergency Situations Management) from the University of Craiova. He and his wife Mirela, who is a Romanian career diplomat as well, have two children, ages 15 and 18.

Dragoş C.-L. Preda
CEO
National Radiocommunication Company

Tudorel Andrei
President of the
National Institute of Statistics

Protecting Europe in Turbulent Times Bucharest Leaders Summit: Enduring Power of Solidarity Speakers 16 May 2022

Official Opening

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Protecting Europe in Turbulent Times
Bucharest Leaders Summit: Enduring Power of Solidarity
Speakers 16 May 2022