Romanian Foreign Affairs Min Worried Over Hate Crime Arson Attempts In Italy

Romania’s Embassy in Rome is in contact with the owners of the two shops and with the local authorities, the ministry said in a statement Thursday.

There weren’t any human victims, but today’s attempted arson produced material damages, the ministry said.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry condemns actions breaking the law and infringements, and considers that those responsible should be trialed and punished in accordance with the law.

“Still, we reject blaming the entire Romanian community or blind retaliations aimed at people just because they are Romanian, actions that go against the norms and principles of the state,” the statement reads.

“Crimes are beyond citizenship and being Romanian does not equal being a criminal. Only 0.278% of the entire Romanian community are arrested or indicted. The real contribution of the Romanian community to the Italian society is honest labor, which provides 1% of Italy’s gross domestic product and pays taxes to this country,” the ministry said.

The ministry said it watches closely the events in Italy via the Embassy in Rome, and pays special attention to community of Romanians, and takes the necessary actions with the Italian authorities to prevent the spread of xenophobic behavior, which would only worsen the situation and would affect more innocent people.

The ministry is thus publicly calling for responsibility, tolerance and mutual respect, the statement reads.