Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu is due to appear on Wednesday before the Committee on Foreign Policy of the Chamber of Deputies to provide explanations regarding the repatriation of Romanians from areas affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy Hajdu Gabor told AGERPRES on Tuesday that he is following "with concern" the situation of Romanians stranded in those areas.
"It is clear that we are watching with great interest and concern what is happening in the areas affected by the escalation of the war in the Middle East. We are monitoring what is happening to our fellow citizens who are stranded in these areas. I can tell you very openly that I personally receive phone calls from them and they are asking for information. The decision to convene the meeting of the Foreign Policy Committee was taken in this context, in which many Romanian citizens are in these states affected by the Middle East conflict," the MP said.
He underscored that he had requested information from the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) as of 3 March.
"We sent two consecutive requests, on 3 and 5 March, asking for information on the number of Romanian citizens in this situation, the measures being considered to support and repatriate them and, naturally, an estimate of the timeframe in which their safe return to the country could be organised. The invitation addressed to the ministry follows this line, reflecting the interest shown in the fate of our fellow citizens who are there. It is an entirely legitimate interest of Parliament, we want to obtain information from the ministry and from the Government," Hajdu Gabor explained.
The Foreign Policy Committee vice-chairman, the Alliance for Romanians' Union (AUR) deputy Cosmin Corendea, also told AGERPRES that he expects "common-sense explanations" regarding the criteria applied by the MAE to Romanians brought back to the country from the Middle East, as well as the conditions under which Irina Ponta was allegedly denied boarding.
Spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Andrei Tarnea announced that Minister Oana Toiu will attend Wednesday's meeting of the Committee on Foreign Policy of the Chamber of Deputies. Asked whether Oana Toiu would attend the committee meeting in person or online, the spokesperson replied: "I do not know that, but since she is in Bucharest, I assume in person. I cannot give a one hundred percent confirmation."
On Monday, Social Democratic Party (PSD) President Sorin Grindeanu asked Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to send the Control Body to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to verify the situation regarding the transport of Romanians from the conflict area in the Middle East. At the same time, he announced that he would ask the party's lawmakers in the foreign policy committees to summon Minister Oana Toiu and Romania's consul in Dubai for hearings.
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