MESOP: ROMANIAN WEAPONS TO ISIL ?

 Press observations regarding the publishing in the Iraqi media of statements concerning the alleged sale of Romanian weapons to ISIL

3/2/2015 puk media – Concerning the publishing in the Iraqi media of statements regarding the alleged sale of Romanian weapons to ISIL, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes the following notes:

Romania strongly rejects this kind of statements which are utterly baseless.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects the statements of the Chief of the Defense and Security Commission of the Iraqi Parliament which directly assert alleged relations between the Romanian state and an organization considered by all the international community as terrorist.

The MFA requests the Iraqi member of the Parliament to publicly present his apologies for his groundless accusations. This type of slanderous statements could affect the bilateral relations between Romania and Iraq.

According to the instructions of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Romanian Embassy in Baghdad has already begun taking the necessary measures in relation to the Iraqi authorities, in order to clarify the situation. The Romanian Ambassador has been urgently received by the President of the Iraqi Parliament on the 31st of January 2015 and has presented the position of the Romanian authorities on the subject. The Iraqi official expressed his regrets towards the fact that a member of the Parliament has made such slanderous affirmations and has ensured that he will take the measures towards clarifying the situation at hand. He has qualified the situation as „unacceptable”. A similar approach is being made by the Romanian Embassy in Baghdad at the level of the leadership of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Romania shall continue to support the Iraqi state in the fight against terrorism and the reestablishment of a climate of stability and security for all the ethnic and confessional entities within the Iraqi society. Romania is contributing to the international efforts of combatting terrorism and shall continue to be involved in the fight against this scourge. Romania is a member of the international Coalition against ISIL and reaffirms its commitment in combatting trans-national terrorism and its violent extremist phenomena. – Communication and Spokesman Department – PUKmedia