MAE: Past relations between Romania, Russia mustn't make way for unsubstantiated opinions, speculations

Bucharest, June 29 /Agerpres/ - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disapproves of the presentation made by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Romania regarding the Soviet ultimatum of 1940 and the events that followed, presentation which was "truncated and lacking historical precision", mentioning that the past relations between the two states "must not make way for unsubstantiated opinions and speculations", informs, on Saturday, a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). According to the quoted source, the continuation of works in the Romanian-Russian Common Commission of Historians could help the Embassy of the Russian Federation "update its historical knowledge". "The continuing promotion by the mission of the Russian Federation of 'historical episodes' is an unconstructive one, which does not help build a pragmatical relation based on reciprocal respect. We reiterate in this way the position of MAE according to which the past of the relations between Romania and the Russian Federation should not make way for unsubstantiated speculations and opinions. In this sense, we recall that the Minister of Foreign Affairs constantly evoked the importance of the Romanian-Russian Common Commission of Historians, which is able and has as an objective to analyze the history of relations between Romania and the Russian Federation. Continuing the works of this Commission could help the Embassy of the Russian Federation update its historical knowledge and have constructive interventions," the release mentions. The Embassy of Russia in Romania made, on Friday, on its Facebook page, a presentation of the events taking place in June 1940, when, according to them the Soviet troops were greeted in Basarabia by the local population with "joy and even exultation". Furthermore, the diplomatic mission claims that "the Soviet demand for the return of Basarabia", of June 1940, "was based totally on the rules of international law of that time". AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Stoica, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)