MAE's Podgorean: UDMR's statements on opening new consulates of Hungary in Romania, devoid of substance

Photo credit: (c) Grigore POPESCU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) considers the statements of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) on opening new consulates of Hungary in Romania as devoid of substance, MAE's Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Relation with the Parliament Radu Podgorean said.

"The interests of the Hungarians in Romania are represented by the state whose citizens they are, i.e. Romania. As there is no practice in this area and no constitutional/legal obligation incumbent on MAE to consult the political parties about consular matters and considering that the political parties, parliamentary or not, have no powers in ensuring Romania's diplomatic and consular representation to its foreign partners, the Romanian Foreign Ministry considers the above-mentioned statements as devoid of substance," Podgorean stressed, according to a release MAE sent to AGERPRES on Saturday.

"According to the law, establishing and maintaining consular relations between Romania and other states falls within the competence of the Foreign Affairs Ministry," the release reads.

UDMR disapproves the refusal of Romania's Foreign Ministry to approve the opening of two new consular offices of Hungary in Oradea and Targu Mures, UDMR Secretary General Peter Kovacs told the MTI Hungarian news agency on Friday. AGERPRES

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