ForMin Melescanu: I've sent memorandum on Romania's Embassy in Israel to President Iohannis for information

Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said Tuesday that he had sent to President Iohannis for information a memorandum on starting an analysis of the timeliness to relocate Romania's Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

He said he had not discussed the matter with President Iohannis, but the document was sent to the Presidential Administration after Iohannis asked for the resignation of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.

"The memorandum was sent for information. Consultation, the stage we are in, is the main priority for us at present. It - [sending the memorandum to President Iohannis] was not a procedural issue, but I found it helpful to inform the Presidential Administration (...) I do not remember someone asking me to do one thing or the other, but I think it is natural for us to have very open co-operation on foreign policy issues between the state bodies - Parliament, Presidency, prime minister, Foreign Ministry," Melescanu said at the Senate House on Tuesday after a meeting with national leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.

Melescanu pointed out that he wants the analysis to be done together with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), all who can contribute to this analysis and including the presidential institution.

Asked if the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would violate any international law provision, Melescanu replied: "This is an analysis that we have to conduct; it has nothing to do with treaties, it is about the UN Security Council's resolutions."

"There will probably be consultations at EU level on this topic, possibly tomorrow, in a formula with permanent representatives - the ambassadors in Brussels (...) It is obvious that at the moment negotiations over the resolution of the crisis in the Middle East are totally blocked. What is happening during this period is a particular concern of both Israel and Palestine to strengthen their negotiating positions for talks. This week or early next week President Trump will come up with a peace plan and we need to see how much we can contribute to finding a solution. It is one of the oldest crises and, unfortunately, in an area that is already plagued with many conflicts," Melescanu said.

About the timeliness for Romania to take the relocation step, Melescanu said that "it must be the result of an analysis of how Romania can get involved in finding solutions that take into account its interests." AGERPRES (RO - author: Livia Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)