The Ambassador who gave Women´s Diplomacy a Stronger Voice in Prague
DH: Prague has a long and distinguished diplomatic tradition. What personal impression has the Czech Republic made on you during your time here? How have you personally experienced Czech society? What qualities of the Czech people have impressed you most?
MAB: I have a lot of admiration for the Czech diplomats, distinguished professionals that I enjoy very much working with to advance our cooperation. I deeply value the fact that Czech diplomats, but also Czech interlocutors in general, are trustworthy, reliable partners—constructive and efficient in their work.
My mandate as Ambassador of Romania to the Czech Republic began in 2021, and I felt very glad and honoured to serve my country in the beautiful capital of the Czech Republic. Despite the lockdown caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, I have had a very positive impression of the city and its people, and I have enjoyed getting to know many Czech interlocutors, promoting my country and our bilateral relations with the Czech Republic.
I also feel very privileged to work in a beautiful building, right in the historic heart of the city, in Mala Strana, on Nerudova street. The Embassy of Romania is hosted in one of the most impressive Baroque palaces of the area, the Morzin Palace, property of the Romanian State since 1937, during the mandate of Nicolae Titulescu, who was a visionary Minister of Foreign Affairs, a most distinguished European diplomat, and twice elected president of the General assembly of the League of Nations.
Living and working in Prague, a city bearing so many testimonials of Europe’s medieval and contemporary history, is a very special experience. I enjoy taking walks through the mysterious narrow streets of Mala Strana, up to the Prague Castle where one can find enchanting museums, restaurants, and maybe the best panoramic views of Prague. Crossing the Charles bridge and taking a stroll through the Old Town, passing the Square and taking a glimpse at the astronomical clock, admiring the elegant facades and boutiques with hidden antiquarian gems in Josefov, or attending the extraordinary performances at the Rudolfinum or Narodni Divadlo are the many pleasant and rewarding activities.
I also admire the passion of our Czech friends for music, for nature, and the fact that they value the balance between work and private life.
DH: You are widely regarded as one of the most visible ambassadors in Prague and you have also chaired the Women Ambassadors’ Group. What inspired the creation of this platform, and what role does it play within the diplomatic community?
MAB: Chairing the Group of the Prague-based Women Ambassadors for two years (2023-2025) has been both a great honour and a responsibility. This informal group, reuniting around 20 women ambassadors from all continents and regions of the world, was established following the example of other capitals—to give a voice to women in diplomacy and to promote equal opportunities and equal representation for women in all fields of activities.
What we have achieved, together, is to engage with a wide range of different stakeholders from Czech society, to make women’s voices heard, and to lead by example inspire and empower young women and girls, in order to encourage them to follow their dreams, to feel confident, and to believe in their ability to succeed.
I would like to mention here one of our common projects, the exhibition H.E.R. Story, which was opened on International Women’s Day at the Embassy of Romania in March 2024. The project, initiated by H.E. Ms. Martina Mlinarević, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina—with photographic portraits by H.E. Mr. Bijan Sabet, former Ambassador of the United States—highlighted the inspiring stories of the 17 women ambassadors in Prague, behind our official role, the stories that made us who we are today.
I think it tells a beautiful and powerful story about the strength of women’s collective action, because we managed to have more of an impact and visibility as a group, facilitating the exchange of best practices so as to enable change in the society.
DH: Diplomacy was historically a predominantly male profession, yet today it reflects a far more diverse generation of leaders. In your experience, has gender ever influenced the dynamics of leadership or negotiation? Do you believe that women and men tend to approach diplomacy differently, or are leadership styles primarily shaped by individual personalities?
MAB: Gender significantly shapes the dynamics of leadership and negotiation, acting as a powerful often subtle force that influences behaviors, perceptions, and outcomes in professional settings. In fact, gender equality in diplomacy reflects our societies at large—a mirror of our progress in building a world that is truly inclusive and respectful of the rights of women and girls.
Women diplomats often serve as bridges between societies, cultures. and generations. And cultural heritage is one of the most powerful tools through which these connections are built and preserved. They bring a different sensibility, but also a lot of strength, commitment, creativity, and communication skills. But, besides this distinct characteristic, I do believe that individual personalities have a significant contribution in shaping leadership styles of both men and women.
Despite advances in gender equality, the promotion of women’s leadership and equal access to decision-making is still work in progress. While women’s leadership brings undeniable value, many challenges still remain. Statistically, the number of female diplomats worldwide remains disproportionately low.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania offers an example of best-practice: around 54% of all diplomatic staff are women and almost 50% of the leadership positions within the Ministry’s headquarters are held by women. Moreover, 35% of Romanian missions abroad are led by women and aim is to increase this share.
DH: What qualities do you consider essential for a successful diplomat today?
MAB: Besides the necessary qualifications and knowledge of international relations, political science, and foreign languages, I think a successful diplomat needs to have excellent social and communication skills, intellectual curiosity, appetite for constant learning and adaptation to a changing world, as well as openness towards different people, culture, and mentalities.
A successful diplomat nowadays should also be able to integrate new fields in his/her activity – from digital, cyber or climate diplomacy to the challenges and opportunities offered by the new technologies and the AI.
DH: How do you characterize the current state of Romanian-Czech relations?
MAB: Romania and the Czech Republic enjoy excellent bilateral relations, grounded in a very rich shared history and common membership in key organizations, primarily the EU and NATO, as well as regional initiatives such as the Bucharest 9 Format, the Three Seas, or the Central European Initiative.
Assessing the past years in our relations with the Czech Republic, I would say that we have reached the level of a consolidated cooperation – with frequent political contacts and a dense agenda of political contacts and consultations on European affairs, defence, and security.
I am glad to see that we succeeded in having more exchanges and more connections between our countries – more business, more people-to-people connections, including student exchanges, more tourism, more contacts between local authorities, and more flights connecting the two capitals.
DH: Romania and the Czech Republic share similar historical experiences as countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Do you think this shared past creates a special understanding between our nations today?
MAB: I firmly believe that common history is not only about the past, it is also an inspiration for the present and future cooperation. This is why remembering our shared history and honouring our past represents one of the priorities of my mandate as Ambassador of Romania to the Czech Republic.
From the role of the Romanian soldiers who fraternized with the local population and created the conditions for the declaration of independence of Czechoslovakia without bloodshed in 1918 to our very close cooperation within the Little Entente regional alliance in the interwar period, to the significant contribution of the Romanian Army in the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945, or to the decision of Romania not to join the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. History teaches us precious lessons of solidarity and moral clarity.
I have the particular pleasure to mention a very special series of events organized by the Embassy of Romania into the Czech Republic last year, as we marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Throughout the year, we have dedicated many events to the crucial role of the Romanian Army in the liberation of Czechoslovakia – a significant yet less known episode to the Czech public – through and under the motto “Solidarity – Memory – Gratitude”.
In Prague, Brno, Kroměříž and in many towns and villages in Moravia we paid tribute to the memory of the tens of thousands of Romanian soldiers – 33.000 dead and other 33.000 wounded or missing – who gave their lives for the liberation of Czechoslovakia and for our freedom.
In total, we have visited more than 20 places where we inaugurated new monuments, opened archive exhibitions, organized conferences, public events—such as the “Days of Romania” in the cities liberated by the Romanian army—and most of all, we remembered the role of the Romanian Army in the liberation of these lands.
I took with me from these visits very touching testimonies about the human connections: the bravery, the dignified behaviour, and friendly attitude of the Romanian soldiers towards the local population.
DH: Both Romania and the Czech Republic are members of NATO and the European Union. How is the current security situation in Europe changing the role of Central and Eastern Europe within the European political landscape?
In the current challenging international environment, marked by the strategic threat posed by Russia, our region can and should play an increased role in the EU and NATO and in the discussions about defence and security. We bring a distinct knowledge and understanding of regional threats but also great examples of success of the EU integration, dynamic economies, a lot of talent and highly skilled labour force in the field of new technologies, innovation, and IT.
Romania is a reliable partner in the EU and NATO, engaged in dialogue and cooperation, firmly acting for our defence and security and for the security of the Eastern Flank and of the wider Black Sea Region.
As a frontline state having the longer external border with Ukraine, we continue to support Ukraine, as we did from the first moments of Russian aggression, to obtain a just and sustainable peace and to end the bloodshed and the loss of too many innocent lives. We have played a key role in ensuring more than 60% of the total grain exports since the start of the war, in providing humanitarian support, military assistance, and energy supplies to Ukraine.
Recently, in Bucharest, the two Presidents signed a Joint declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Romania and Ukraine, setting out priorities of cooperation at political level, in defence and security, European integration, regional cooperation, transport and infrastructure, among other fields.
We remain the strongest supporter of the Republic of Moldova on its path towards European integration, and we continue the close cooperation in the field of infrastructure, energy, and preparation for EU accession as well as for enhancing the overall resilience of the society.
Given the special relations we have with the Republic of Moldova, based on the community of language, culture, and history, we have stepped up our bilateral support and also raised awareness at the European level about the need to step up the support and advance on the EU path.
DH: Romania has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the European Union. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for Czech investors in Romania, and for Romanian companies in the Czech Republic?
MAB: The economic cooperation remained a strong pillar of our relations, with the record trade number of 6.7 billion Euro last year, a solid presence of Czech investments in Romania (1384 companies, 741 million Euro), and growing opportunities of cooperation in the field of the defence industry, energy, including nuclear energy, transport, or new technologies.
We are glad to see an increased interest for investments in Romania coming from important Czech companies that correctly evaluate the strategic regional role of Romania.
New connectivity opportunities are gaining traction in the current geo-political situation, which represents an additional incentive for diversifying traditional trade routes and reducing dependencies.
In this landscape, the Port of Constanța provides a direct connection to the EU transport infrastructure through the Black Sea and represents a valid multimodal alternative of transport between Europe and Asia.
Further on, through the Danube river and the rail and road networks, this transport route reaches the Czech Republic and the wider Central European region, offering a viable alternative to the cargo transport from Asia.
Such new transport links will create more contacts and more business opportunities, thus enhancing the trade and economic cooperation between Romania and Czechia.
DH: Cultural diplomacy often succeeds where political dialogue alone cannot. Which cultural or academic exchanges between our countries do you consider particularly important?
MAB: Culturally, our cooperation has also grown significantly. A major project was, last year, the restoration of the façade of the Romanian Embassy in Prague, housed in the Morzin Palace—one of Prague’s most beautiful Baroque buildings, closely linked to Romanian diplomacy in the interwar period. After nearly six decades, this UNESCO-listed palace regained its original splendour through complex restoration works supervised by the Czech National Heritage Institute, preserving the decorative elements designed by Jan Blažej Santini Aichel.
In April 2024, the Embassy had the initiative of planting a linden tree to honour our national poet, Mihai Eminescu, in Náměstí Míru, a gesture that strengthened ties between our countries.
We continued to promote Romanian traditions, literature, music, contemporary art, and cinema. Highlights include the participation of the Czech Philharmonic at the Enescu Festival and the participation of the director of the festival, Cristian Măcelaru, to the closing concert of the Dvořák Festival in Prague. I would also mention the concert of the world-renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu at the Obecní dům, together with the tenor Teodor Ilincăi.
Romanian writers are increasingly present in the Czech literary scene, especially at the Prague Book Fair, thanks to the dedication of Romanian translators from the Romanian language section of the Charles University. The same is valid for Romanian cinema, enjoying growing recognition, with annual screenings during Francophonie Day and notable participation in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Last, but not least, contemporary Romanian art is also gaining visibility in Prague, with exhibitions dedicated to prominent artists.
A particularly successful example is the 2025 series of Bedekr episodes on Česká televize 2, a popular travel documentary format that explores Romania’s diverse regions—from Bucharest and Transylvania to Maramureș and the Danube Delta—presenting cultural landmarks, traditions, gastronomy, and natural beauty to Czech audiences and stimulating interest in Romania as a travel destination.
The growing interest of Czech tourists in Romania is also a testament to the success of these efforts. Enhanced connectivity—with 18 weekly flights, alongside cultural visibility through media and events—has made Romania an increasingly attractive destination for Czech visitors.
DH: From your perspective as ambassador, what areas of cooperation between Romania and the Czech Republic still remain underexplored?
MAB: As I have mentioned, I think there is generally a lot of potential in the economic and sectoral field, where we have common interests, similar views, and complementarity of our economies. Transport connectivity, energy, defence industry, cohesion in regional development, and competitiveness are fields where our cooperation has good prerequisites to thrive. New technologies, including cutting edge nanotechnology, could be further explored in our bilateral cooperation.
I would also like to mention academic cooperation, where I think we could do more together with the Czech Republic. We are currently in the process of connecting some of our leading universities with Czech partners in order to identify possibilities of joint projects in research, students’ and professors’ exchanges.
DH: When diplomacy becomes particularly demanding, how do you maintain balance outside your professional responsibilities?
MAB: I like to spend time outside, walking in nature, together with our dog, Aris. I also like to travel, discovering new places and people is always an enriching experience for me. The same goes with reading a good book or listening to music, two of my old-time favourite activities. I prefer reading books in the classic paper format, mostly literature, either in my mother language, Romanian, or in French and English.
DH: Finally, beyond politics and protocol, behind the title of ambassador stands a person shaped by convictions, intellect and experience. Who is Antoaneta Barta beyond diplomacy?
MAB: As many other women, I try to manage my different roles in career and family as best as I can. I have a daughter, who is currently studying international relations, and I try to spend time with her whenever possible, either going to a movie, the theatre, visiting an exhibition, or discussing foreign politics. I am proud of her keen interest for the world we live in, and I admire her desire to get involved and to make a difference.
I grew up in Bucharest in a very loving and supporting family, with powerful women figures, my maternal grandmother and my mother, who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and aspirations.
Later on, a very formative role played the professors that influenced my academic and career choices—my history and French teacher in high school and my modern Greek teacher at University.
I completed my studies in Political Sciences and European Studies (bachelor and master’s degree) in the French section of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Bucharest.
I joined the Foreign Ministry in 1999, 10 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, which opened a whole new world and perspectives that I was eager and curious to explore as a career diplomat.
For a diplomat, life and career are often intertwined, not only because it is a profession that requires full dedication and commitment—sometimes at the expense of the private life—but also because it involves travelling and living abroad for important periods of time, with the constant adaptation efforts and frequent changes that come along for ourselves and for our families.
Women diplomats build bridges between societies.
