Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu sent today, on behalf of Romania, a message to the official ceremony for International Holocaust Remembrance Day organized at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, paying tribute to the memory of the victims of the tragic events of World War II and expressing solidarity with Holocaust survivors, the Foreign Ministry informs.
On this occasion, Aurescu evoked the current international challenges related to the proliferation of hate speech, anti-Semitism and intolerance, especially in the online environment.
"Minister Bogdan Aurescu reaffirmed Romania's staunch commitment to supporting international cooperation on Holocaust education, research and commemoration and mentioned the special efforts Romania has made recently to take responsibility for the past and condemn Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism," the Foreign Ministry said.
The release notes that the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of anti-Semitism during the Romanian IHRA chairmanship (2015 - 2016), the adoption in 2018 of a special law to combat anti-Semitism, the inclusion of the fight against anti-Semitism among the priority themes of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU or the completion of a National Strategy for preventing and combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech are concrete actions Romania has taken either nationally or internationally, to preserve the memory of the past, to support and protect the survivors of hate crimes and to combat the proliferation of hate speech and anti-Semitism.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates its commitment to contributing, through diplomatic mechanisms, to the consolidation of legislative and institutional instruments for preventing and sanctioning Holocaust denial and distortion, anti-Semitism and all forms of intolerance.