Foreign Minister points at Romanians who travel without papers

Miercuri, 12 decembrie 2007, 10:39 English | Top News

Romanian embassies and consulates are not a problem, said Foreign Minister Cioroianu in a public meeting organized by the Social Dialogue Group on Tuesday night. Cioroianu pointed at Romanians who leave Romania without carrying any personal documents. The minister defended his Foreign Ministry employees after president Traian Basescu had claimed in an interview for Hotnews.ro and BBC that the ministry attempts to transform consuls and ambassadors into political clients.

Cioroianu blamed the Romanian citizens for the poor image of his institution, pointing at the case of a Romanian woman who tried to visit her husband in a hospital but was refused because she forgot her marriage certificate at home. "She declared for a TV station that the Romanian authorities refused to help her, although the people at the consulate explained her that she needed the marriage certificate", said Cioroianu.

The minister also reminded the case of actress Laura Vasiliu, mistaken by the Italian Police for a child white slaver: "Everyone shouted that the Foreign Ministry didn't do anything, although the actress demanded that her case would not become public", says Cioroianu. He also mentioned that, in some cases, employees at embassies and consulates take the round plate to help Romanians return home.

Referring to Romanians expelled from Italy, Cioroianu said that the toll reached 200, but there were no cases of Romanians suing the Italian state, although the Romanian Government has a contract with an Italian law firm to assist possible abuse victims. Cioroianu believes that the community of Romanian gypsies in Italy became a "scapegoat of the former scapegoat, the usual Romanian".