Romania–Syria relations

{{bilateral|Romania-Syria|Romania|Syria|flagvariant2=revolution}}

Romania–Syria relations refer to the bilateral and diplomatic relations between Romania and Syria. Relations between the Romanian People's Republic and the Syrian Republic were established on 9 August 1955. Romania has an embassy in Damascus.{{Cite web|url=http://damasc.mae.ro/contact|title = Ambasada României la Damasc | AMBASADA ROMÂNIEI în Republica Arabă Siriană}} Syria has an embassy in Bucharest.{{Cite web|title=L'isolement diplomatique de la Syrie se relâche |publisher=Le Monde |date=13 February 2019|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2019/02/13/l-isolement-diplomatique-de-la-syrie-se-relache_5423006_3210.html}}

Before Syria suspended itself, both countries were full members of the UM. In September 2021, a chargé d'affaires was appointed at the Romanian embassy in Damascus.{{cite web |url=https://www.eeas.europa.eu/syria/about-ambassador_en?s=209 |title=About The Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union to Syria |publisher=eeas.europa.eu |date=29 July 2021 }} In April 2024, a Romanian Intelligence Service chief Răzvan Ionescu met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hossam Louka, director of GID, delivering a joint message from Romania, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, expressing their intention to re-establish contact with the Syrian government.{{cite web |url=https://syrianobserver.com/foreign-actors/romanian-intelligence-chief-visits-syria-meets-bashar-al-assad-with-a-essage.html |title=Romanian Intelligence Chief Visits Syria, Meets Bashar al-Assad with a Message |publisher=The Syrian Observer |date=19 April 2024 }}

Country comparison

class="wikitable"
! {{flagicon\|Romania}} Romania ! {{flagicon\|Syria}} Syria
Population \| 19,051,562 {{cite web \|url=https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/com_presa/com_pdf/poprez_ian2023r.pdf \|title=Populaţia rezidentă la 1 Ianuarie 2023 \|publisher=INSSE (www.insse.ro) \|access-date=2023-08-30 \|language=ro \|archive-date=30 August 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830090953/https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/com_presa/com_pdf/poprez_ian2023r.pdf \|url-status=live }} \| 18,604,031{{cite web \|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/syria-population\|title=Population, total – Syrian Arab Republic \|publisher=World population review\|website=worldpopulationreview.com\|access-date=1 January 2022}}
Area \| 238,398 km² (50,949 sq mi) \| 185,180 km² (71,500 sq mi)
Population Density \| 97/km² (250/sq mi) \| 118.3/km² (306.4/sq mi)
Capital \| Bucharest \| Damascus
Largest City \| Bucharest – 1,739,297 \| Damascus – 2,503,000{{Cite web\|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/damascus-population\|access-date=23 September 2022\|title=Damascus population 2022\|publisher=World Population Review\|archive-date=2 October 2022\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002173112/https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/damascus-population\|url-status=live}}
Government \| Unitary semi-presidential republic \| Transitional government
Current leader \| President Klaus Iohannis Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu \| Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir
Official languages \| Romanian \| Arabic
Main religions \| 73.86% Romanian Orthodoxy, 5.97% Protestantism, 4.5% Catholicism, 0.3% Islam \| 87% Islam, 10% Christianity, 3% Druzism
Ethnic groups \| 89.3% Romanians, 6.0% Hungarians \| 75% Arabs 10% Kurds 15% Others (including Turkomans, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians and Jews){{cite web \|title=Syria: People and society \|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/syria/#people-and-society \|website=The World Factbook \|date=10 May 2022 \|publisher=CIA}}{{cite web \|title=Largest Ethnic Groups In Syria \|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/largest-ethnic-groups-in-syria.html \|website=WorldAtlas \|date=7 June 2018 \|access-date=18 August 2022}}
GDP (nominal) \| US$ 817.986 billion (43,179 per capita) \| US$22,4 billion,{{cite web \|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=SY\|title=GDP Syrian Arab Republic\|publisher=World Bank\|website=worldbank.org\|access-date=29 December 2021}} ($1,265 per capita)

class="wikitable"

! {{flagicon|Romania}} Romania

! {{flagicon|Syria}} Syria

Population

| 19,051,562 {{cite web |url=https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/com_presa/com_pdf/poprez_ian2023r.pdf |title=Populaţia rezidentă la 1 Ianuarie 2023 |publisher=INSSE (www.insse.ro) |access-date=2023-08-30 |language=ro |archive-date=30 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830090953/https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/com_presa/com_pdf/poprez_ian2023r.pdf |url-status=live }}

| 18,604,031{{cite web |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/syria-population|title=Population, total – Syrian Arab Republic |publisher=World population review|website=worldpopulationreview.com|access-date=1 January 2022}}

Area

| 238,398 km² (50,949 sq mi)

| 185,180 km² (71,500 sq mi)

Population Density

| 97/km² (250/sq mi)

| 118.3/km² (306.4/sq mi)

Capital

| Bucharest

| Damascus

Largest City

| Bucharest – 1,739,297

| Damascus – 2,503,000{{Cite web|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/damascus-population|access-date=23 September 2022|title=Damascus population 2022|publisher=World Population Review|archive-date=2 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002173112/https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/damascus-population|url-status=live}}

Government

| Unitary semi-presidential republic

| Transitional government

Current leader

| President Klaus Iohannis
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu

| Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir

Official languages

| Romanian

| Arabic

Main religions

| 73.86% Romanian Orthodoxy, 5.97% Protestantism, 4.5% Catholicism, 0.3% Islam

| 87% Islam, 10% Christianity, 3% Druzism

Ethnic groups

| 89.3% Romanians, 6.0% Hungarians

| 75% Arabs
10% Kurds
15% Others (including Turkomans, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians and Jews){{cite web |title=Syria: People and society |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/syria/#people-and-society |website=The World Factbook |date=10 May 2022 |publisher=CIA}}{{cite web |title=Largest Ethnic Groups In Syria |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/largest-ethnic-groups-in-syria.html |website=WorldAtlas |date=7 June 2018 |access-date=18 August 2022}}

GDP (nominal)

| US$ 817.986 billion (43,179 per capita)

| US$22,4 billion,{{cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=SY|title=GDP Syrian Arab Republic|publisher=World Bank|website=worldbank.org|access-date=29 December 2021}} ($1,265 per capita)

Factors affecting relations

The two countries were exposed to colonialism and occupation, which made their positions against the occupation.
Geographical proximity and the common cultural heritage between the two countries represented by Ancient Syria and Dacia through Greco-Roman world.
Both countries belonged to Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire for centuries.

References

External links

[http://www.mae.ro/index.php?unde=doc&id=6341&idlnk=4&cat=6 Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: direction of the Romanian embassy in Damascus]
[http://www.mae.ro/index.php?unde=doc&id=6043&idlnk=4&cat=6 Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: direction of the Syrian embassy in Bucharest]

Romania–Syria relations

Country comparison

Factors affecting relations

See also

References

External links