Editing Politics of Romania (section)

==Foreign relations==
{{Main|Foreign relations of Romania}}

On 1 January 2007, [[Romania]] became a [[member states of the European Union|member of the European Union]] (EU) in the fifth wave of [[EU enlargement]].<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/5th_enlargement/index_en.htm Enlargement, 3 years after] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625150449/http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/5th_enlargement/index_en.htm |date=25 June 2009 }}, [[Europa (web portal)]]</ref> During the 2000s, Romania implemented a number of reforms to prepare for EU accession, including the consolidation of its democratic systems, the institution of the [[rule of law]], the acknowledgement of respect for [[Human rights in Romania|human rights]], the commitment to personal [[freedom of expression]], and the implementation of a functioning [[free-market economy]].

Romania joined the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) on March 29, 2004, following the decision taken at the [[2002 Prague summit|Prague Summit]], in November 2002. Romania was a partner to the allied forces during the [[Gulf War]], particularly during its service as president of the [[UN Security Council]]. Romania has been active in peacekeeping operations in [[UNAVEM (disambiguation)|UNAVEM]] in [[Angola]], [[IFOR]]/[[SFOR]] in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], [[Albania]], in [[Afghanistan]] and sent 860 troops to [[Iraq]] after the invasion led by the [[United States]].

Romania has developed strong [[Hungary–Romania relations|relations with Hungary]], with the latter playing a key role in supporting Romania's bid to join the EU.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}} Romania's [[Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania|ethnic Hungarian party]] also participated in all the government coalitions between 1996 and 2008 and from 2009. In 1996, Romania signed and ratified a basic bilateral treaty with Hungary that settled outstanding disagreements, laying the foundation for closer, more cooperative relations.<ref name="1996treaty">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dri.gov.ro/lege-nr-1131996-pentru-ratificarea-tratatului-de-intelegere-cooperare-si-buna-vecinatate-dintre-romania-si-republica-ungara-semnat-la-timisoara-la-16-septembrie-1996/ |title=Lege nr. 113/1996 pentru ratificarea Tratatului de înţelegere, cooperare şi bună vecinătate dintre România şi Republica Ungară, semnat la Timişoara la 16 septembrie 1996 – DRI |access-date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=8 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708162328/http://www.dri.gov.ro/lege-nr-1131996-pentru-ratificarea-tratatului-de-intelegere-cooperare-si-buna-vecinatate-dintre-romania-si-republica-ungara-semnat-la-timisoara-la-16-septembrie-1996/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Bulgarian relations with Romania feature regular official visits by the two presidents. In the first half of the 20th century, Romania and Bulgaria had a serious conflict over the [[Dobruja]] region. This dispute, while now largely forgotten, escalated into all out war in 1913. The territorial dispute between the two countries ended with the [[Treaty of Craiova]].