Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry Says Moldovan Gesture Is Unfriendly

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sees this as an unfriendly gesture, which is completely unjustified and contradicts the constructive and cooperative attitude that Romania has constantly taken on towards the Republic of Moldova," said a press release issued by the ministry.

"On December 12, 2007, the Romanian Ambassador in the Republic of Moldova, Filip Teodorescu, was called to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration at Chisinau, where he received a verbal Note dubbing two diplomats within the Mission persona non-grata, and he was informed that the two need to leave Moldovan soil within 24 hours. The reason invoked by the Moldovan party referred to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations," said a press release issued by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which mentions: "as protest against this surprising and unexpected gesture, the Ambassador of Romania refused to acknowledge the verbal Note."

The ministry said that it is currently analyzing the measures that such a gesture imposes but it understands the need for this matter to be approached in a European fashion, with transparence and responsibility, in the interests of the citizens of the two states.

"Romania will continue to promote the European destiny of citizens in the Republic of Moldova," according to the press release.

The two diplomats declared persona non grata by Moldovan authorities are Laurenţiu Pintea – who is prime secretary – and Vasile Nanea, cultural adviser of the diplomatic mission.

Paragraph 1 of Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations states that the residence state can, at any moment and without explanation, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any other member of the diplomatic core of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of mission staff is unacceptable.

In such a situation, the sending state must recall the person targeted, or withdraw their mandate within the mission. The same article states that a person can be declared non grata or unacceptable before arriving on residence state soil.

Paragraph 2 of Article 9 states that, if the sending state refuses or does not manage, within a reasonable time frame, to fulfill its obligations in accordance with the first paragraph of the article, the residence state can refuse to acknowledge the person involved as member of the mission.