ABSTRACT
The Romanian Revolution of December 1989 also brought changes in foreign policy decision-making. If, until December 1989, Romanian foreign policy was decided exclusively by only one person—namely Nicolae Ceausescu—the ministry of foreign affairs operated principally to implement his unilateral decisions. The decisive role the US plays, and will continue to play, in international economic and political relations, necessitates Romania’s close attention to Washington, D.C. Relatively good ties exist between the two countries, and these should be put to work in order to maximize interests of both parties. December 1989, Romania was perhaps the most independent member of the Warsaw Pact, enjoying a relatively stable geostrategic position and having quite an extensive relationship with the developing countries. In the competition among former “socialist” states to be first to join Western structures, few wanted Romania to have the advantage of sympathetic reaction to losses and sacrifices before and during the revolution.
