Office of the Spokesperson
Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Bucharest, Romania, September 27-29, 2022, with the official U.S. delegation to the 2022 Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22). This conference will convene member states of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to chart the course for the organization the next four years and hold elections for leadership positions. The United States strongly supports the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin as the next Secretary-General of the ITU. The U.S. delegation will be led by Ambassador Erica Barks-Ruggles, and includes Ambassador Nathaniel Fick, the new Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy as well as other U.S government and private sector representatives.
During the trip, the Under Secretary will also meet with senior Romanian leaders to discuss shared regional objectives and deepen our partnership and cooperation on a range of issues including energy, food security, health, and supply chains, and a vibrant digital economy that enables all our citizens to benefit from the promise of 5G and future-generation wireless networks. This year is the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-Romanian strategic partnership and presents an opportune time for the Under Secretary to discuss ways we can work together to strengthen economic security for the benefit of the people of the United States and Romania.