Aurescu: Romanian Embassy in Kiev - fully operational; No need for additional staff reduction at this time

The Romanian Embassy in Kiev is "fully operational", with 15 staff members, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday, noting that some non-essential staff had been withdrawn, respectively two people.

According to the minister, there is no need for further staff reductions, and all EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic.

The head of Romanian diplomacy was heard on Wednesday in the foreign affairs committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on security developments in the Black Sea basin.

"We have completed the procedure of returning to Romania the family members of the diplomatic staff at the Romanian Embassy in Kiev and the Consulate General in Odessa. The other two consular missions that are in Solotvino and Chernivtsi, respectively, have not been in view of this measure because there is no need, there are regions that have a higher degree of security," Aurescu said.

He added that all EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic, and it is "important" that a unitary message be given.

"As for the Romanian Embassy in Kiev, at the moment, we have 15 people in the embassy staff, the embassy is fully operational. We have withdrawn some of the non-essential staff, more precisely two members, (...) who are already in Romania. "There is no need for further staff reductions at this time, and it is important to send this unitary message at the level of EU member states. All EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic at this time," Bogdan Aurescu explained.

On February 12, the Foreign Ministry (MAE) announced that it had decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic and consular staff from Ukraine. At the same time, the ministry informed that all measures had been taken regarding the "voluntary" repatriation of the family members of the diplomatic and consular staff. The MAE strongly recommends that Romanian citizens avoid any travel to Ukraine and pay special attention, Agerpres informs.