Premium
Moving the Embassy of Romania from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not a conflict between the President and the Government, but just a matter involving a political consensus, considers Catalin Dancu, Romania's Consul General in New York.
"As for the move of the embassy, I do not call it a conflict. I think the approach is wrong. It is known that the implementation of this procedure to move an embassy involves a number of institutional, decision-making factors and, as Mrs. Prime Minister has clearly shown at the recent world meeting of Jewish leaders, this decision is taken by political consensus along with all the institutional actors involved. It is not a whim, it is not a unilateral decision taken by a government or a president today. (...) The issue of moving the embassy is a political issue for Romania. So it has a national impact, and I am convinced that after this assessment, I consider it positive, in some form or another, this move will be achieved. I am convinced the political context and the basis will unite the two camps and the final decision will be made in consensus," Catalin Dancu said on Wednesday before the awards ceremony of the "Man of the Year - The Book of the Year 2018" Prize, an event organized in Tel Aviv by the Association of Romanian Language Israeli Writers (ASILR).
As regards Romania's Ambassador to Israel, Catalin Dancu, whose name has been circulated for this dignity, has shown that it would be a great honor, a great responsibility, but also a good ending to a cooperation he has with the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania (FCER) and the Jewish Community of Romanian origin in Israel.
In his opinion, Romania's relationship with the State of Israel is perhaps as important as Romania's Partnership with the US.
"From a diplomatic point of view, I believe in a trilateral Romania - Israel - USA in the field of security as well as in the economic and military fields. Only those who do not know the Israeli issue carefully can place on a level other than possible the Romanian-Israeli relations. It is less important why it has not happened until now [appointing an ambassador to Israel]. It is important to happen as soon as possible and thus to enter a normal flow of cooperation. We already have an ambassador of Israel in Bucharest, I believe that it is time for Romania to respond with the same attitude by officially nominating on behalf of the Presidency the new ambassador," said the Romanian Consul General in New York.
If he becomes Romania's ambassador to Israel, Catalin Dancu says he has multiple priorities on the political agenda of the two governments but also on the economic one, considering that Romania needs to increase the volume of exports with Israel, especially in terms of beef and mutton.
He also referred to the governmental agenda for the future restitution of the lawful citizenship through legislative amendments to all Jews who were abusively deprived of the right to maintain their citizenship as a political and moral reparation.
As far as the political agenda is concerned, Dancu referred to the organization of a high-level meeting of the two governments in Bucharest, arguing that "since 2014 there has been no common agenda, and the last two meetings of this kind took place only in Jerusalem."
AGERPRES
