On Tuesday, June 23, New Strategy Center celebrated 11 years of activity dedicated to promoting security culture in Romania, fostering international cooperation, and strengthening our country’s strategic profile within the Euro-Atlantic space. The New Strategy Center Gala brought together officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, academia, and the business community – a true community of NSC friends.

Eleven years ago, we set out with the goal of creating a platform for dialogue and analysis capable of serving as a bridge between state institutions, academia, the independent expert community, the business sector, and international partners. Since then, through conferences, debates, studies, and large-scale projects, we have contributed to developing relevant perspectives and solutions to the security challenges facing Romania, the Black Sea region, and the Balkans.

The partnerships we have built abroad have enabled us not only to bring leading personalities from the fields of security and foreign affairs to Bucharest, but also to organize events outside the country, particularly at prestigious international forums, thereby strengthening cooperation and the exchange of expertise with our allies and partners.

Ionel Nițu, President of NSC: “Over the past 11 years, through perseverance and professionalism, New Strategy Center has become a relevant platform for strategic reflection in Central and Eastern Europe, contributing significantly to a better international understanding of the developments, risks, and opportunities in the Black Sea region.”

Mihaela Nicola, Founding Member: “Many of NSC’s assessments, developed over its 11 years of activity, have subsequently been confirmed. When analyses stand the test of time, it demonstrates that the team, the minds, the culture, and the expertise of those involved in the NSC endeavor are truly exceptional.”

H.E. Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “New Strategy Center has made a significant contribution to strengthening Romania’s strategic security culture. These 11 years of activity represent sustained work, rigorous analysis, strong international partnerships, meaningful debates, and proposals that have supported important decision-making processes in Romania.”

H.E. Radu Miruță, Minister of National Defence: “NSC is a promoter of Romania’s security interests. At major international events, when the Black Sea is discussed, this is also due to NSC, which for 11 years has consistently promoted the strategic relevance of the Black Sea region. There are not many benchmarks in Romania that demonstrate determination, efficiency, rigor, and professionalism. NSC is undoubtedly one of them.”

Vlad Ionescu, State Counsellor, Presidential Administration: “The value of an authentic think tank lies in its ability to anticipate crises and propose concrete solutions. NSC consistently provides such analyses, which have proven to be not only relevant but also visionary. I congratulate NSC for its remarkable work, determination, and the professionalism of its team. The Romanian state needs partners like these—partners with independent expertise, strong international networks, and the ability to build bridges for sincere dialogue where official channels sometimes have limitations.”

H.E. Ihor Prokopchuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Romania: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to New Strategy Center for its constant and significant support for Ukraine throughout all the years of Russian aggression. NSC has been a consistent and reliable partner in keeping the threat posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on the regional and international agenda. NSC has created space for Ukrainian voices to be heard in strategic debates concerning Ukraine, Romania, the Black Sea region, and Europe.”

George Scutaru, CEO of NSC: “We will continue with the same determination to promote the strategic relevance of the Black Sea region, advocate for Romania’s interests, support the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on their path toward European Union integration, encourage a more significant role for Romania in the reconstruction of Ukraine, and contribute to strengthening security culture in our country—with decency, balance, political neutrality, and a firm commitment to democratic values.”

We thank everyone who has stood by us throughout these 11 years: institutional partners, officials, sponsors, collaborators, experts, and friends of the New Strategy Center.