This thesis explores the significance of national identity in shaping the trajectory of Romania's foreign policy between 1990 and 2007. It explains why and how Romania's Euro-Atlantic national identity was subject to re-definitions and discursive dialogue prior to the European Union accession on 1 January 2007, as well as how and why these identity re-definitions influenced the state's foreign policy decisions. The research employs a multi-dimensional framework of national identity, which draws from four academic literatures related to: constructivism, nationalism studies, collective memory and self-esteem and international recognition. National identity formation represents a two-way socio-psychological process that depends on both domestic and international factors. To identify the themes or self-images of national identity, the project has examined the discourses of elites as the primary actors of Romanian foreign policy. The three main self-images of Romania's Euro-Atlantic national identity - 'European', 'non-Balkan' and 'security provider' - configured an ideational foundation that impacted on the state's foreign policy throughout 1990 and 2007.