President Cyril Ramaphosa and Romania's South African ambassador, Monica Cecilia Cital. (dirco/x)
Since arriving in South Africa, share some of your highlights as a diplomat and in your personal abilities.
I was impressed by the meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa and with South African officials on all levels on the occasion of presenting my qualifications. The warm ways I was accepted by South African authorities and people in rural areas at the local/regional level left me with a positive and long-term mark.
From personal experience it is the outstanding natural beauty of South Africa. It's the season of Jacaranda in Pretoria. There, the trees thrive in deep purple. The beautiful fauna and plants of South Africa are represented through unique beauty flowers, the beauty that is as diverse and powerfully moving as the rainbow country it lives in.
When it comes to rugby, it was impossible not to be impressed by South Africa's strong sense of unity. Rugby is a sport celebrated with pride that is difficult to fully convey in simple terms.
Provide background on Romania-South African relations.
The official relationship was established at the consul level in 1990 and then upgraded to the diplomatic level in 1991.
Since the launch of the first Romanian mission in South Africa, there have been many achievements at the diplomatic level, visits at all levels, including the president and prime minister level, and invaluable people-to-people cooperation in various fields, but between the sport and education levels, cultural, but between Asten, and while it was between Asten.
However, Romania in the 1960s, 70s and 80s became the first nation to actively support the liberation movement in South Africa, sponsor or co-hosted many resolutions at the United Nations and other international fora, and praise the abolition of the apartheid system, even before the opening of the first Romanian diplomatic mission.
Romania adopted African national strategy entitled Romania-Africa: Partnership for the Future Through Peace, Development and Education. How did you implement this in South Africa?
Due to its strong relations with the African continent in the past, Romania launched a new strategy for Africa in November 2023, designed to revive relations with the African continent and strengthen cooperation with African countries in education, peace, security, economic cooperation and agriculture.
This document recognizes the essential role of the African continent in shaping global trends in the 21st century. Factors such as Africa's demographics and resources, or the role of African countries in the United Nations, are well recognized in ensuring key global debates about the impacts of climate change, peace, security, development, and the fight against terrorism, among others.
The purpose of this strategy is to restore relations between Romania and Africa. This starts with the presence of promising grounds for cooperation, and the existence of potential in a variety of fields. This document aims to outline the specific roles of our nation in relation to the African continent, and to outline the specific roles of our nation in relation to the African continent.
This document reflects our commitment to supporting Africa in a spirit of practical, honest and balanced cooperation between equal partners. We want to rank the turning points of our political and strategic approaches to Africa and South Africa as our top priorities.
We place great emphasis on the economic aspects of cooperation. South Africa is Romania's most important commercial partner in sub-Saharan Africa and the most important sub-Saharan African investor in the Romanian economy.
We are committed to strengthening engagement in value-added areas such as food safety and agriculture, education and training, security and protection, IT and cybersecurity, emergency situations and disaster management.
Ever since your tenure began in South Africa, you have given a special focus to township and rural school support programs.
In 2023, the Romanian Embassy in Pretoria launched a support programme for townships and rural schools. Over the past two years, eight schools have received not only learning and educational materials, but also electronic and IT equipment in Garten, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
In total, 7,742 students benefited from these programs, part of South Africa's official development assistance and funded by the Romanian government through Romanian International Development Agency.
Africa will remain a priority region from 2024 to 2027. Therefore, from 2023, at least 17% of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official development assistance will be allocated to Africa.
Our decision to involve our embassy in this initiative also had a starting point in programs that support schools from underprivileged backgrounds, stemming from the understanding that education is the only option to lead a better life. There is a huge difference between rural and urban schools, with the former opportunities much less. I have visited several country and town schools. I met and talked to students, parents and teachers, and tried to understand their needs, wishes and desires. The program is a flagship and impactful initiative.
Romania's commitment to the South African education sector does not end with these contributions. This will continue for the next few years and strengthen relations between Romania and South Africa.
I believe that these types of projects will really be useful to learners, teachers and the local community in South Africa. It is also important to emphasize that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, MECS, the Ministry of Basic Education, local governments, and vice ministers and directors of the Ambassador were present at any event that supplied rural and town schools. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for their support.
How many projects do you aim to complete while you are an ambassador? What is the most promising program at your embassy?
Together with my colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy, I am confident they have and would like to implement as many such projects as possible in as many educational fields as possible, as it will have a very significant impact on the education of these children in the future. This year, we will exceed 10 schools that receive support in the field of education.
We also funded several knowledge transfer projects in the area of food safety and regulation, building media resilience to emergency disinformation, diplomatic training and management in which South African experts participated in capacity building programs.
Recently, nine learners from underprivileged communities have been awarded scholarships to study in Romania…
Scholarships granted by Romania to many African states this year are limited by Romania's African strategy and the achievement of its objectives. South Africa is a priority country. Students currently studying in Romania are from the Eastern Cape, and these scholarships are a continuation of the Rural Schools programme that began in 2023.
The scholarship covers registration and tuition fees, monthly scholarship allowances, accommodation to student dormitories, student canteens and access to local transportation facilities, as per the terms provided to Romanian students.
There is also good news about the first recipient of the Romanian scholarship. Despite being in Romania for almost three months, nine scholarship holders are immersed in the local culture and community of Blasov and Sibiu. One student shares her origins with curious locals and is delighted to embrace diversity in the worship of a small church in Sibiu. Another student has excelled in his cultural and linguistic programs, particularly in his presentation in Romanian. The delights of Romanian cuisine are also highly appreciated. Overall, students are welcomed by Romanian people and universities.
And what demonstrates Romania's commitment to Africa, particularly to South Africa, is that this 2025-26 academic year will award scholarships and continue to equip schools in rural areas and towns.
How would you describe Romania as a destination? What are some of the major attractions, do South Africans require a visa?
Romania is a country of unique beauty like South Africa, and is difficult to capture with images and words. From the crowded but lively streets of Bucharest, to the historic and natural beauty of Transylvania, to the quiet and peaceful wonders of the Danube Delta, Romania is a country decorated with natural wonders that will impress anyone who visits it. I come from a country with a diverse range of architectural beauty, not only the traditional monasteries of Moldova and Bucovina, but also the parliamentary palace in the capital and the presidential residence of the Cotroseni Palace. Areas such as the Transfa Garsan, Trans Alpina Highway, the Prahoba Valley Resort and many castles were built 100 years ago.
We are enthusiastic and delighted to welcome more South African tourists in our beautiful country.
Regarding visas, Romania became a member of Schengen on January 1, 2025. Romanian authorities have issued a full Schengen visa since that day. Regardless of whether you are obligated to hold a visa or exempt from such obligations, the maximum period of your approved stay in the territory of the state of the Schengen region of the third citizen, regardless of the type of passport held, cannot exceed 90 days for the 180-day period. This includes South Africans who need a visa to enter the Schengen region.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates Eviza Electronic Portal, http://evisa.mae.ro/. A long-term visa requires a separate procedure.
What do you want South Africans to know about Romania?
I think it is essential that after the totalitarian communist regime, after the brutal revolution, Romania has learned from the past and has thrived since becoming a member of both NATO and the European Union, which had a significant influence on Romania's political stance and development, as well as a democratic country. We also believe that people should know more about Romania's rich culture, natural beauty, friendly citizens and standard of living.
