Alexandru Drăgulin
Table of contents
Summary
Romania’s participation in the European Summit on the Arctic Region in Rovaniemi (13–14 September 2026), led by President Nicușor Dan, aimed to link Black Sea security concerns with the priorities of Northern Europe, argues Alexandru Drăgulin from the Romanian Diplomatic Institute. By highlighting shared Russian threats—such as drones, sabotage, and cyber operations—Bucharest sought to extend European solidarity to its own region while offering expertise in mineral extraction, shipbuilding, and demining.
While the summit yielded institutional developments, including a joint declaration for an upcoming EU Arctic strategy and plans for future European Council discussions, the practical success of this diplomatic outreach depends on execution. Romania is scheduled to host the next meeting of the Helsinki Format in early 2027, serving as a key benchmark to determine whether these initiatives translate into sustainable industrial and security cooperation or remain purely general declarations.
Joint press statements with the leaders at the European Summit on the Arctic Region
Article
Intro
Nicușor Dan’s presence at the European Summit on the Arctic Region, held in Finland on 13–14 September 2026, raises a legitimate question: what is Romania doing in a discussion about the north of the continent? The president’s answer stems from the interdependence of European security. For Bucharest, this participation can be interpreted as an attempt to link Black Sea concerns with the priorities of the Nordic states. A few days after the meeting, we can identify this diplomatic intention, though any lasting impact remains to be seen.
The central message had already been set out at the working dinner hosted by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo: ‘the link between the Arctic region, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea is becoming increasingly evident’. This statement expresses a vision of security in which the vulnerabilities of one region affect the entire continent. Implicitly, Romania is calling for the same solidarity invoked for the Arctic to apply to the Black Sea as well. This is the political stake behind a presence which, viewed purely from a geographical perspective, might seem unusual. [Report on the statement]
Romania’s interest at the EU Summit on the Arctic Region
Ahead of the summit, Dan identified Russia as the source of the common threat and listed drones, attacks on critical infrastructure, cyber operations and acts of sabotage. He proposed exchanges of expertise on demining, intelligence gathering and the protection of submarine cables. He also highlighted Romania’s expertise in mineral extraction and processing, the collaboration between Romanian and Finnish geological institutes, and opportunities in shipbuilding. The speech thus included an offer to contribute, going beyond a mere request for protection. [Transcript of the statements]
This offer suggests a useful direction for foreign policy: Romania can gain influence through the expertise it makes available to its partners. However, regional experiences are not automatically interchangeable. Geographical conditions, infrastructure and operational needs differ. A common threat justifies the exchange of information and coordination, but solutions must be tailored. Bucharest’s credibility will depend on the precision of the proposed contributions and the resources allocated to implement them.
Ukraine
At the joint conference, the President shifted the focus to an institutional vulnerability: states are aware of their own incidents, but lack a sufficiently comprehensive shared understanding of actions directed against Europe. When asked about public support for Ukraine, he emphasised the need to combat disinformation and electoral interference. These responses indicate an interest in information cooperation and the protection of democratic processes. [Transcript of the speeches]
However, there is a limit to this explanation. The debate on support for Ukraine cannot be reduced to disinformation alone. Economic costs, mistrust in institutions and the lack of convincing explanations regarding the objectives of foreign policy can influence public attitudes. A sustainable policy must address these concerns through reasoned arguments and transparency. Otherwise, cooperation against manipulation risks being perceived as an avoidance of legitimate political debate.
The EU level
At European level, the summit has produced a clear political outcome: the joint declaration calls for the strengthening of the EU’s role in the Arctic. The Finnish Government has announced that the proposal for a new Arctic strategy and the implementation plan are expected this autumn. António Costa linked the new security reality to the future multiannual budget and announced that the issue would be revisited at the European Council. There is, therefore, an institutional channel for continuing the discussions, although this does not yet equate to approved investments for Romania. [The Finnish Government, Costa’s statements]
The regional formats
With regard to regional formats, Rovaniemi is continuing a process of rapprochement that began earlier. The Helsinki summit in December 2025 brought together eight states, including Romania and Bulgaria, to coordinate the defence of the eastern flank. Finland and Poland were assigned the role of coordinating the joint project. Separately, the B9 meeting with the Nordic countries in Vilnius in June 2025 had already demonstrated the expansion of dialogue between Central, South-Eastern and Northern Europe. We are therefore not witnessing the sudden emergence of an alliance, but rather the overlapping of cooperation networks. [Finnish press release on Helsinki, NATO Secretary-General’s address in Vilnius]
Dan announced that Romania will host the next meeting of the Helsinki Format in early 2027. This commitment provides a concrete deadline for assessing Romanian diplomacy. Bucharest can propose projects, partners, funding and implementation timetables. If the meeting produces nothing more than a new general declaration, the proliferation of such formats risks draining diplomatic energy without commensurate results. If it links expertise to administrative and industrial decisions, closer ties with the north could become sustainable.
Significance for South-Eastern Europe
There is already a relevant example in the Romanian-Bulgarian relationship. The MCM Black Sea Group, established by Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey to combat sea mines, expanded its missions in July 2026 to include the protection of critical subsea infrastructure. This cooperation predates the Arctic summit and should not be presented as its outcome. However, it provides a concrete basis for the exchanges of experience proposed by Dan: regional expertise is built together with neighbours. [Ministry of Defence press release]
From this perspective, opening up to Finland can strengthen cooperation in South-Eastern Europe if Bucharest involves Sofia in relevant projects. The protection of shipping, port infrastructure and transport links have an impact on the economy and daily life. A foreign policy with visible results for communities would give substance to regional solidarity and prevent participation in meetings from turning into a prestige contest between capitals.
Aftermath and future outcome
The Arctic itself calls for such a broad perspective. The Finnish communiqué emphasises sustainable development, indigenous peoples and the involvement of local residents in investments. The security agenda must also be assessed in terms of its social and environmental impacts. The same requirement applies to the projects that Romania would like to develop alongside its Nordic partners.
The outcome of Nicușor Dan’s participation is, for the time being, a plausible diplomatic opening, underpinned by a number of concrete initiatives. Its lasting impact on foreign policy cannot yet be ascertained. It will become apparent through the continuity of cooperation, the projects funded, and Romania’s ability to bring its Nordic partners and Black Sea neighbours to the same table. The meeting in Bucharest will be one of the first tests.
Foto: Nicușor Dan was in Rovaniemi for the EU’s Arctic Summit 2026 (source: YouTube)
Subscribe to the channel of the blog “The Bridge of Friendship” in YouTube, where a number of video and audio interviews are published! The blog can also be followed in Facebook and Twitter. Its Telegram channel is here. And here is its Substack account.
About Author
Discover more from The Bridge of Friendship
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
