Comment by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Alexander Lukashevich, regarding the anti-Russian statements by Romanian leaders

Moscow noted another series of anti-Russian statements by the Romanian President, Traian Bгsescu, with regard to the events involving Ukraine and Crimea. In particular, during the recent events on the occasion of 10 years of Romania's accession to NATO, the Romanian leader incriminated Russia for aggression "against Ukraine", violation of the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 and so on. The head of the Romanian Foreign Service, Titus Corlгюean, also keeps up with Traian Bгsescu and engages in accusations against Russia.

Behind these attacks, we clearly see the intent of the official Bucharest to ignore the initial cause of the Ukrainian crisis, the lack of any wish to admit honestly, what forces contributed to its stirring and continue to stubbornly reject any sensible ways to overcome it. As to the Budapest Memorandum, the basic principles laid down in it were grossly violated by actions of other guarantors before the Crimean people exercised their legal right to self-determination, which is formalised in the UN Charter and several other fundamental international legal acts.

In general, another splash of anti-Russian rhetoric amongst Bucharest's leaders at the stage, when the dialogue between Moscow and Bucharest has just started to gain positive dynamics, does not correspond to the interests of any of the parties and cannot but disappoint.

4 April 2014